New Beginning
by lexib502
Summary: Aria and Ezra after the four year time jump. Is it possible to try and rebuild everything they were after the years they were separated? Some things never change, that's for sure. There's no more A but there are still a lot of obstacles in their way. Ezria story, but all PLL characters and ships are thrown in.
1. Introduction

Aria

Aria was on her way back to Rosewood after four years of college in Savannah. The four year break from Rosewood was just what she needed to feel like a normal person again. Four years with no A. Four years of freedom. Four years of guys her own age. That thought still replayed in her head over and over. She had dated guys in college but she was never in a relationship with any of them. Ezra would always have her heart and there was nothing she could do about it. Every guy she went out with, she found herself comparing to her high school English teacher. They had kept in touch somewhat. She'd get a message from him once in awhile asking how she was doing and she would lie and say she was good. They'd send Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas texts every year but other than that, there wasn't much communication. She hated to admit that she sometimes stalked him to find out whatever she could. It was okay to still care about the guy after everything they'd been through wasn't it?

She wasn't sure what it would be like to be back home and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to be back there where everything went down but something was pulling her back to the only place she had ever called home. After talking to the girls, they all decided to go back and give it a try. The four of them stayed in close contact with one another. They spent every holiday together and almost every second of their free time Skyping or texting one another. None of them had returned to Rosewood since they left. Their parents and loved ones had visited them a few times and understood their reasons for not wanting to come back so they had no reason to return.

'Charles' had long since been locked up and they really were free from A, but that didn't mean she didn't jump the second her phone dinged from the passenger seat beside her. She didn't even want to check it.

She was parked in her apartment building parking lot before she even dared reach for it. She and Spencer were going to be roommates for the time being until they could find something better. Team Sparia was back together again and ready to fight the battles that came with being adults. She and Toby were still together but he was working as a detective in New York and she wasn't ready to move there with him yet. She didn't even like New York. Hanna and Caleb were still together and Caleb had stayed in Rosewood and had been working as a hacker on the police force since the dollhouse incident. Hanna was getting impatient while waiting for a diamond from her long-term boyfriend and she was driving the three of them crazy. Emily was a swim coach and had been traveling around the world to do volunteer work. She didn't have a girlfriend at the moment just because her focus was on other things. Aria was a photojournalist and enjoying every minute of it but she was still missing something. Something was always keeping her from being truly happy. None of them had been in contact with Ali since they left so no one knew what she was up to.

College was difficult for Aria in many ways. She had learned that being normal was the hardest thing she had ever had to do and trying to act her age was impossible. She'd look around her at the college students and all she could think about was how dumb they were. She tried to be one of them but she couldn't. It wasn't fun for her. Her frat party days had began and ended with Riley.

She pulled her phone out of her purse and took a deep breath before reading the text.

_From: Spencer Hastings_

_ I'll be in Rosewood in an hour. Where are you?_

Breathing a sigh of relief, she typed back a quick response.

_To: Spencer Hastings_

_ I'm in the parking lot trying to decide whether to unpack or get coffee first. What time are Hanna and Emily going to be back?_

She was not looking forward to unpacking her car. She had too much stuff to think about what she was going to do with all of it. Their apartment wasn't tiny, but it wasn't huge either. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, an open living room and kitchen and that was pretty much it. She hadn't seen it since they had rented it, but it was in the same building Toby's had been in so she knew it was a pretty nice place.

_From: Spencer Hastings_

_ Hanna is on the road but Emily hasn't left yet. _

Aria groaned. She was too excited to see them again. She was tired of waiting. She had so many people to see and so much to do, she was both frightened and full of adrenaline at the same time.

She walked over to the offices to pick up their keys and then started taking some of the things into her apartment. She was definitely in love with the place because she could call it home. She had been living in a dorm room for four years and had hated every second of it. Her roommate, Christy, respected her space as Aria did Christy but they weren't on the same planet and didn't get along too well. It was in part because Aria had already decided that if it wasn't Hanna, Spencer, or Emily she wouldn't like them so therefore, she didn't try to.

Being there before Spencer gave her the advantage of getting the room with the walk in closet so she was grateful for that. Spencer wasn't going to care much anyway.

Some things she left in the car while she headed towards The Brew to pick up some coffee before meeting her mom. Her dad was at a conference so she wasn't going to see him for a few days but her mom was the one she missed more than anything.

She walked inside and pushed her aviators on top of her head. Her heels clicked across the hardwood as she walked up to the register, digging through her purse to find her wallet. She wore her short, pink and black lace dress purposely because everyone that knew her, knew her sense of style was eclectic and a little insane. She wanted to show that she had a sense of style but it was a lot calmer than she used to be. She looked back on pictures of herself and realized just how out there she really was. Especially for her senior year.

"Aria?"

She would recognize that voice anywhere. She didn't want to look up but she did and immediately regretted it. Why would she think that the owner wasn't going to be working? Although, it wasn't like there was anywhere else to get coffee so she couldn't avoid The Brew forever. The only other place had coffee that tasted like burnt bread.

"Ezra," she mumbled. His blue eyes pierced through her and her heart rate sped up. If anyone could read her, it was Ezra. He could read every thought, every emotion. He knew her better than she knew herself.

There was a moment of awkward silence and she had to look away. Not a lot had changed in the four years she had been gone. The books on the bookshelf seemed to be updated and there were a few new things hanging on the wall but that was about it. He hadn't changed much at all. He was still the same adorable guy he had been when she left. If anything, time had treated him well. It wasn't fair that after so much time, he looked better than he did before. He wore the same haircut he had worn since Homecoming and his scent was all too familiar. Why was so hard to move on? She still remembered every second, every kiss, every touch, every conversation and every fight. She remembered it all no matter how hard she tried to forget it.

"How are you?" he asked.

She looked back at him and sighed. "I'm good," she lied.

"Aria."

She laughed softly to herself and sighed. "I've been afraid of my phone ever since I passed the sign that said 'Welcome to Rosewood' and it's freaky knowing about everything that's happened but I'm good. I get to see the girls and…" she met his eyes before going on while the lump in her throat grew. "other people that I've missed."

He smiled softly. "We should catch up sometime. It feels like we haven't talked in ages."

"Yeah. I would love that." Her eyes jumped to his left hand ring finger on their own and she couldn't explain the relief she felt when there was no wedding band. That didn't mean he wasn't with anyone but it meant something to her. She knew it was over. She realized that and she embraced it. She just missed him and she hadn't realized how much until seeing him again. They had made so many memories, just in The Brew, never mind everywhere else, it was hard not to replay them in her head.

"Do you want your usual?"

Her eyebrow arched and she smiled. "You remember it?"

"I remember a lot," he said, a sad tone in his voice.

There was a long moment of silence between them and the only noise that could be heard was the background music in the empty café. "Yeah. The usual."

He turned around and grabbed a cup and she swallowed the lump in her throat while he made it. She didn't know that seeing him again would make her so emotional. She didn't want him to have that kind of effect on her but he did and always would. He was her first love, of course there was going to be some kind attachment between the two of them, right?

He passed her the drink and she smiled at him. She really had to get out of there before she said or did something stupid. The way he was looking at her made her want to fall in his arms and tell him how much she missed him and still loved him. He had moved on. He was now a published author and working at Hollis again, at least that's what his Facebook page said. Why couldn't she get past his beautiful eyes and smile that melted her heart?

Instead of leaving, she took a seat at one of the tables and Ezra followed. There was no way she could do this. She couldn't even look at him without forcing the tears away. She didn't want to breakdown in front of him because then she'd have to tell him why. Ezra cared too much to just let her cry and not console her. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Hell, he took a bullet for her and her friends. It didn't matter how much time passed, he would always be there for her. She knew that even without his words so why was it so hard for her to just sit with him?

She just wanted to start over. She didn't want to not have him in her life, she just wanted to be friends and forget about everything they'd shared. Just a new beginning.

"Aria," he murmured softly.


	2. Together Again

Chapter Two

Ezra

He sat across from her not knowing what to say or do. She had been gone for so long and to see her again ate at him. She was so beautiful. He would never be able to tell her how much he missed her and still loved her.

Since the last time he saw her, he had accomplished a lot. He published two books. One of them was a mystery (not a true-crime novel that tore him and Aria apart) and the other was a romance novel about two people that shouldn't be together but somehow always found their way back to one another. That was probably the easiest novel he had ever written. He moved out of his bachelor pad and into a house a few minutes away from Hollis. The big, empty house that had a population of exactly one person. He had tried dating but it never worked out. Nobody was her.

Ezra didn't know if he'd ever see her again after saying goodbye that day that she left. The texting every few months wasn't good enough. It was crazy to think about- he was a 27-year-old man that couldn't get over his "high school girlfriend." It wasn't that he was waiting for her to return or holding out hope that she still loved him. He knew she did love him and he didn't want to revolve his life around her. Nothing was on purpose. He knew he would probably never have his chance with her again and he was okay with that. He was just trying to focus on The Brew and Hollis and writing because that's what all his time was taken up with. Not relationships that would be pointless because there was no girl like Aria Montgomery.

Now, with her being so close to him, he just wanted her. Nothing else mattered.

"Aria," he murmured softly.

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and smiled. "Savannah was terrible. The English professors were old guys."

He laughed at her. She was so adorable when she was nervous. "That's good to know. I was really worried you'd go off and I'd lose my spot as favorite English teacher."

She looked down at her hands folded in her lap and sighed.

"How long are you back for?" he asked timidly.

She shrugged. "As long as my phone isn't terrorizing me, I'm probably staying for good. All four of us are back. Spencer and I have an apartment down the road. Hanna's with Caleb and Emily's doing her own thing."

He smiled at her. She loved to talk about her friends. Her face always lit up when they were brought into a conversation. After everything they'd been through together, of course they were close. They were all like sisters and would do anything for one another. Ezra was a little envious of them as stupid as it sounded. They were so close and stuck together throughout everything A put them through. It was pretty great to see friends as loyal as the four of them.

"That's good to hear. You're half my business here. No one drinks as much coffee as you."

She laughed at him. "Then you're business is better when I'm not here because you never let me pay." There was a moment of silence and she met his eyes again. "How has everything been with you?"

"I've stayed busy. What about you, Ms. Montgomery?"

"I've just been trying to get through school. I've had nothing to do with my life. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to not be a detective. I actually had to act like a normal person. Can you imagine that? I was so used to hiding out in tiny apartments and searching for clues that I never knew what normal was."

"Are you implying that you didn't enjoy takeout every night and watching old movies?"

She smiled and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that it was so easy for them to go back to their old ways of being loving and playful with each other.

"No, not at all, Mr. Fitz. I'd rather be watching old movies with you than sitting in my dorm room."

"Aria." They both turned towards the door to see Caleb walking in. He and Ezra had hung out a little bit since the girls left but not enough to be 'bro's'. It was more like when they'd get lonely and bored, they'd talk about A.

Aria smiled and stood up to pull Caleb into a hug. Ezra was kind of jealous by that. Would it be too weird for them to hug again? He had missed that all those years. Aria was the best at comforting him when something was going on. Her embrace always made things better. She knew what to say or do to help him through whatever it was and he never worried as long as he had her. She had been his rock throughout the two years they were together.

He looked at her now and saw the amazing woman he had fallen in love with long ago. The one that he still loved and always would. She was beautifully complicated and he needed her in his life, no matter what he had to do to get her back. He missed having someone to come home to every night who would listen to him complain about his lazy students and the way he always felt like he was talking to a brick wall when he was teaching. She listened to him and understood him in ways that he never understood. She was so young when they met but no one would ever know that after one conversation with her. Aria had always been too mature for her own good.

A lot of people had found their relationship disgusting and frowned upon. They were, after all, a teacher and a student but the whispers and looks only prompted them to fight harder for their love that they knew was honest and true. He was going to fight like hell to win her back if he had to. He was tired of pretending like his life was great when it wasn't. There was one thing that it was missing and as soon as he had her, then it would be great and he could feel complete again.

He watched her and Caleb talk while the thoughts raced through his head. Maybe she already had someone or the love wasn't enough anymore. Before, the love they shared got them through everything from A to angry parents to a betrayal to a shooting to trust issues. They were hopeless romantics that believed in their love and knew that they were meant to be together. They weren't just ordinary people in an ordinary relationship. They were Aria and Ezra.

"I'll see you at The Grille," Aria told him when he left.

She turned around and looked back at Ezra, gripping her coffee cup in hand. "I better get going. I'm going to meet my mom before I have to meet the girls for dinner."

He nodded. "When do I get to see you again?"

She looked down at the floor, almost shyly and then smiled. "You could meet us at The Grille for dinner. I know the girls would love to see their favorite English teacher again."

He couldn't help the bright smile that lit up his face. "You want me to?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We've got a lot to catch up on and everyone loves you. It's like a reunion thing. Toby is coming in from New York to spend a few days with Spencer so I think you should come too."

"Yeah, of course. What time?"

"Six." She gathered up her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Bye, Ezra," she said with a smile.

"Bye."

He watched her leave, not being able to contain his happiness. It would be like it was before when all of them were together. He had only hung out with them a handful of times as a group but they always had the most fun. After they got used to the idea, he was no longer the creepy English teacher, he was just Ezra… until they found out about the book, then he was the creepy stalker. Now, all of that was behind them and as of their last group hang out, they were all comfortable with him.

Now, he and Aria would have a chance to reconnect and they had college experiences to bond over. He wasn't sure what was going to happen but at least he wasn't stuck in the acquaintance territory like he had assumed he was when she first arrived in the café.

**Thank you guys for the reviews. Feel free to shoot some ideas my way. I know these two chapters were kinda short but I was trying to get the introduction over with so I can get on with it. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update but I'll do my best to keep them steady. I just had to write something after season five ending the way it did with Ezria. They're one of the only reasons I watch the show because the A story line is too screwed up. Anybody agree? Anyway,**

** sarahschneider2012- I'm reading your story, I promise, I'm just doing a lot so I don't know when I can review it but it's great so far. **


	3. Pictures and Pie

**I love reading your reviews. I'm excited about all of the positive response I'm getting on my first fanfiction so thank you. Keep reviewing and tell me some ideas for what you'd like to see happen. **

** To the guests that mentioned having a lack of Ezria stories- I felt the same way which is why I'm writing this. After the show failed the "Ezrians" in the last half of season 5, I was hoping to find a good story on here but there really aren't that many and the good multi-chapter stories are never complete.**

Chapter 3

Aria

They all sat around their table at The Grille laughing and playing with one another. It had been so long since all of them had been able to be together in one place and they couldn't contain their shouts of laughter as they caught up on everything that had happened in the time they had been apart. Hanna hadn't left Caleb's lap since they arrived and Aria was a little envious of their perfect relationship. They had been together for over 5 years and now, they were like an old married couple. Spencer and Toby were the same way but they were more sophisticated about it and weren't quite as much fun to hang around. Emily was fine living the single life and it didn't seem to faze her in the least. Aria had no idea what Ezra was thinking while he conversed with the guys over random things that they seemed to find funny. Aria wasn't so nonchalant about going home to an empty bed every night but she was back with her friends so that at least counted for something. As long as she wasn't in a different state from everyone, she was okay. Being in Savannah for so long was slowly but surely killing her. The school was great and she loved it but the atmosphere and the people wasn't so great. They weren't very welcoming of someone that had been on the news as a 'tortured soul'. It didn't matter where they went though. They always got looks. That's how it had been after Ali's death and after the Ian incident. Then again after Maya and Mona. Then, even more so after the Charles events unraveled. They could all pretend like they were used to the looks and the whispers by now, but they would never get used to being the freaks. They found ways to deal with it and they could even have fun with it from time to time. Sometimes, they would go up to strangers and go on a rant about how they were 'so tortured' and 'scared to step outside their house' just to play with them. After all, it's not often you hear about four teenagers who were almost killed by a mysterious person in a dark hoodie that sent them frightening texts and made it impossible to be a normal teenager. Aria might've been the same way if she was the bystander.

"Group photo!" Hanna called out. "Everyone gather around Caleb and me."

"Hanna, we're not all going to fit in that screen," Spencer told her, pointing to the IPhone Hanna was holding up. "There's too many of us."

She shrugged. "Fine. Yo!" She yelled to the waiter passing by. "Can you take a picture of us?"

He nodded and she passed him her bright pink phone while everyone scrunched up together for the picture. Aria noticed Ezra sitting in his seat across from them and she sighed.

She walked over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of his seat and yanking him to where the rest of them were standing. "Come on, Mr. Fitz. You're part of the group now. Act like you're happy to be with the cool kids."

Ezra laughed and squeezed in with the six other college graduates that were all almost too happy to be together again. Some way or another, Ezra's hand landed on Aria's hip, but she didn't move it. Whether it was on purpose or just second nature, she didn't care. Her smile widened for the camera and her night went from great to outstanding with just that one touch. She didn't even think it was possible to get any better. She had spent part of the afternoon catching up with her over joyful mother that was ready to squeeze the life out of her daughter the first time she saw her, and she had spent the night with her best friends. It was a perfect way to start off her new life back in Rosewood. In a few days, she would be starting her new job and then seeing what happened from there. After getting a career, her to-do list was empty. She had no idea what she wanted next in her life. She knew some people had their 5 year plans or their 10 year plans but hardly anyone's life ever turned out the way they had planned it 10 years ago. There's no schedule for life to follow, it just happens. That was almost a scary thought for her. Hanna and Spencer both wanted to settle down with their 'bae's' and Emily was so focused on her job and volunteer work that it didn't matter but then there was Aria. In the end, everything comes down to two things- love and business. She couldn't get back into the dating scene and she didn't want to focus on just her job so she was just… there.

While everyone returned to their seats, she looked over at Ezra. He seemed happy. He wore the same goofy smile that she had fallen in love with what seemed like forever ago. She would never admit it to anyone, but it might just be what got her through all of the exams and tough college courses- knowing that she would be able to come home and see his smile once again. She hated how much she still loved him. It drove her crazy. Sometimes, she just wanted to reverse time and not say goodbye that day in the park. Would they have made it like Spencer and Toby and Hanna and Caleb? Some days it was the opposite and she just wanted to move on from him but that was much easier said than done.

"So, is this a date you two?" Hanna asked them, eyeing how close they were sitting to one another. Aria could've been sitting in his lap but they didn't have much of a choice with their big group. They would rather not be the freaks that took up half of the restaurant on top of everything else.

Aria looked at Ezra, a little shocked at what she had just asked and then shook her head. "No. This is two people catching up over dinner."

"Yeah right," Spencer snorted. "And Toby and I are acquaintances."

Ezra cleared his throat and Aria looked down at the table to keep from laughing. "So, Toby, Aria tells me you'll be joining us in Rosewood next month."

He nodded. "New York is not all it's cracked up to be. I think Rosewood needs me more than they do right now."

Aria winced when images of the night Ezra got shot started racing through her head. That was the night she had been so close to losing him just because he was trying to protect her. He still had the scar, she'd bet. It wasn't like something like that ever completely disappeared. There was deeper meaning to it than just a bullet wound. It was a reminder of how much he loved her. That wasn't something that just disappeared either was it? The way he kept sneaking glances her way when he thought she wasn't looking told her that there was still something there.

She was so confused and conflicted, she wasn't sure what to do. "At least we know we have one good detective here," Aria said. "Last time I was here, I'm pretty sure they were all working for Charles."

"I am. You just don't know it yet." Toby tried, and failed, at an evil laugh and they all laughed at him though it wasn't funny. They really didn't want to relive high school again. They had talked about it constantly; Aria thought it was time for a clean break from everything.

"You guys are forgetting that Toby was part of the A team at one point," Emily informed them.

"Thanks, Em. You always know just what to say to bring a person down," Toby threw back at her.

The clock struck 9 and the fun was winding down. They were all exhausted from all of the day's events and most of them still had some unloading and unpacking to do before they could go to bed so they were all ready to call it a night. Everyone said their goodbye's and made a pact that they would have to get together very soon. All of them were completely on board for making it a weekly thing. Besides, in a small town like Rosewood, there wasn't much else to do on a Friday night.

The only two people left in the restaurant were Aria and Ezra who were staring awkwardly at each other. Neither knew what to say after what went on. They had had such a good time when it was all 7 of them but now that it was just the two of them, things were… complicated.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Aria told him. "It was fun."

He nodded. "It was. I haven't had fun like that in a long time."

There was another awkward silence and Aria looked around her at the mostly empty restaurant. There was one happy couple sitting in a booth in the corner but that was it. "So what is a handsome, single guy like yourself doing hanging out with a bunch of college students on a Friday night?"

He grinned and looked back up at her. "I'm old, remember? I should be asking you what a hot, young single girl like yourself is doing hanging out with their English teacher on a Friday night?"

Aria blushed lightly and tucked a piece of her brown hair behind her ear. "I'm not single. Actually, I just got engaged. I just haven't told the girls yet because I'm not sure how they're going to take it." She looked up to see his reaction and had to try her hardest to keep a straight face. His eyes were practically bulging out his head and his shocked expression was something she hadn't seen him wear too often.

"What?" he practically choked out the one word and she couldn't hold it together any longer.

"God, I love you, Ez. You're so gullible!" Aria caught her mistake almost immediately but hoped that he hadn't. Judging by the boyish grin on his face, he had definitely caught her mistake. "So, I better be heading home now. I've got a lot to do."

"Are you sure you want to go home right now? Spencer and Toby haven't seen each other in months. Are you prepared for what you're going to walk into?"

Aria groaned and sunk back down in her chair. She hadn't even considered what sharing an apartment meant for both of them. It didn't really make a difference for Aria but Spencer had a boyfriend and that was going to get plenty awkward. Spencer was moving in with Toby after he moved back but for the time being, she was dealing with them whenever he made his weekend trips or any other surprise visits he might've had planned. "I'm so screwed," she laughed.

"Actually, I think Spencer is," he remarked.

She laughed but slapped him playfully in the arm. "You have a dirty mind for an old guy."

He shrugged. "Dessert round 2? I think this time I'm getting the key lime pie."

Aria's head snapped up at the mention of pie. They had an obsession with it when they were together. Spencer and Toby ran. Hanna and Caleb ran. Emily and Paige swam and Ezra and Aria ate pie. Just another one of the millions of reasons they stood out among a crowd of people but that's what she liked most about them. They weren't following the crowd. They were their own dysfunctional couple.

She nodded with a smile. "Pie sounds good."

**Okay, so let me know what you think. It's 2 AM and I was rushing to get this done so that I could give you guys a chapter so if it's horrible… just go with it.**


	4. Self-Pity and Jealousy

**Honestly, I'm surprised at how many people like this story. I started it as just something to write for fun while waiting for season 6 but now I feel obligated to write these chapters constantly. Your reviews are definitely encouraging me to make this a good story. I'm trying not to drag on the friend zone forever but I also don't want it to seem like they can just jump back into that place they were before college because that's too easy and boring so we'll just see where it goes.**

Chapter 4

Aria

Aria was sitting in her bedroom looking around at all of the things she had unpacked. She still had a ton left to do but at the moment, everything looked good. She wasn't an interior designer or anything but the colors matched well. She and Spencer still had to make decisions on their living room furniture but since she was leaving in a month anyway, she didn't really care what Aria did with the place. Aria wasn't too happy about living alone. The anticipation of coming home to an empty apartment every day didn't make things any easier on her. She may have been an independent person since she was young, but that never meant she wanted to depend on herself. She would like to have someone that took care of her sometimes and held her when she'd wake up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare.

Back in SCAD, she dated a few guys but never let it turn into anything serious because of her preoccupation with her ex-boyfriend. When you break up, there's supposed to be a real reason for it. He should've cheated on her or published that tell all book about her and her friends or done something that made her hate him. There was no reason for her to hate Ezra and even if there was, she wasn't sure she would ever be able to hate him. She found out he had used her for two years and most of their relationship had been built on lies and she still didn't hate him. After having dinner with him the other night, she really couldn't get him out of her mind. She was getting sick of coffee because she would go by The Brew multiple times a day just to make an excuse to see him.

Spencer was telling her that she should just stop playing games with him and tell him she loved him already but she still wasn't sure where they stood. That slip of the tongue she had made the other night didn't seem to faze him, if anything, he liked it, but if they were actually going to figure out what they were doing, they had to have a serious conversation and not just make small talk for the rest of their lives. They had both done some obvious flirting but neither addressed the real elephant in the room. She had been back almost a week and, though they were back on the friendship level where she felt like she could go to him with anything, she wanted something else to happen.

Instead of moping around all day and drowning in self-pity, she decided to do something about it. Aria dug through her closet and threw on her pink and black strapless sweetheart skater dress and a pair of black sandals. It was cute without being fancy.

She wasn't going to wait around any longer for Ezra to come to her. She had to go to him and tell him how she really felt. They had to have a real, adult conversation about what was going with them or even if they wanted to fall back into old habits after all of the time that had passed. Apparently they were both single. Ezra didn't deny it when she said something so Aria could only hope that was a good sign.

"You're over thinking it," Spencer called out from the kitchen while Aria searched through her purse to make sure she had everything.

Aria sighed and spun around to face her. "I know. But am I crazy to want this? This is crazy right?"

Spencer rolled her eyes at her ridiculous friend and pushed herself up onto the countertop. "It's crazy not to go get your man. I've been telling you that since day one."

"I know that, Spence, but I'm trying to be realistic."

"I am being realistic. You need Ezra. Ezra needs you. The guy looks like a lost puppy every time I walk into The Brew without you by my side. You two are blind if you don't see what's right in front of you. Make up already so I don't have to live with Dopey. You were always Happy. Doc needs her Happy back."

Aria looked at her brunette friend with an arched eyebrow. "Have you been watching Snow White, Doc?" she asked. Spencer was not known to pull lines and names out of movies and especially not princess movies. She didn't even watch movies as often as the rest of them did. She was, after all, sophisticated Spencer and there was no one that could change that. College had taught her to loosen up a bit but the sarcastic and serious personality was in her blood.

She shrugged. "No but the dwarfs are icons. You don't even have to know anything about the movie to know about the dwarfs."

Aria laughed at her and tossed her bag over her shoulder. "Okay, well I'm out. Dopey will be Happy again and everyone can live happily ever after. Wish me luck."

"You don't need it. But I won't wait up for you tonight," she said with a smirk. "You know, just in case you and Fitzy have another one of your infamous slips."

"Spencer, you're beginning to sound like Hanna. Shut up and never, ever use Fitzy in another sentence."

Aria smiled to herself as she left the apartment. She wasn't sure what to anticipate, but she was nervous and excited all at the same time. Ezra was the only person she ever saw herself having a future with and she didn't want to wait around forever to make that happen. Spencer was right. She was definitely over thinking everything. It really wasn't that complicated at all, she was just making it out to be that complicated. That's why she didn't think on the drive over. She just drove with the music blasting in the background. There was no way she was letting Ezra out her sight again until they were back where they were. She had waited too long already; she didn't want to wait another second.

Driving down the streets of Rosewood, she saw the happy couples and families that were strolling down the streets seemingly careless. She had often wondered what it would be like if she and Ezra started a family but she never shared her thoughts with him. It was more like something that she felt stupid about thinking about. These thoughts would pop into her head while she was sitting in her boyfriend's English class with him up at the front always trying to avoid eye contact with her. It was just never the right time to bring up a future. When you're in an illegal relationship and don't know if you're going to get caught and have your boyfriend thrown in jail, what could happen in the next ten years wasn't exactly a priority subject.

A lot of girls didn't believe in love after their parent's divorce but Aria wasn't one of them. Byron and Zach both cheating on Ella didn't discourage her. If anything, it made her want to prove that there was still real love in the world with people that would never dream of hurting each other.

She parked in front of The Brew and checked her makeup and hair in the mirror one last time. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so self-conscious after everything they had shared but she felt like everything had to be perfect or he wasn't going to love her. It was ridiculous, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

Aria stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, taking in a deep breath of the fresh Rosewood air. Before she could enter the café, though, something caught her eye. Actually, it was someone. Someone that she never wanted to see in Rosewood ever again and someone that she really didn't want to see sitting inches away from Ezra. She could recognize that smug smirk on the woman's face anywhere. Jackie Molina was back and involved with Ezra. But how involved were they exactly?

Aria stood outside the glass spying on the two of them. The couch they were sitting on was facing her but they were both looking down at a book that was sitting on the coffee table in front of them. Reading a book. It was harmless right? That's what she tried to tell herself until her eyes practically bulged out of her head at what she saw next. Jackie laughed at whatever Ezra was saying and then lay her hand on his thigh. It didn't seem to faze Ezra in the least. He seemed comfortable with the bitch's hands on him. Maybe it was a figment of her imagination but she swore, the hand was rising to his very upper thigh.

Aria's hand's balled themselves into fists on their own and she was fuming. She wanted nothing more than to walk in there and rip out Jackie's perfect hair but she was waiting to see Ezra do something, anything. She wanted him to push it off and jump up but even if he kissed her, that would say something. She couldn't believe he was letting her do this. After everything she did to him and Aria, why would he even want to be around her?

She didn't think it could get much worse until Jackie took his lips with her own and kissed him harshly.

*****Gasp*****

** I hope you guys enjoyed reading that chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I enjoyed the drama that was thrown in here instead of it all being mushy. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.**

**Also, do any of you think Aria is A? Just wondering. I really don't want her to be but I'm reading these theories and they're actually really convincing. I always thought if it were one of the girls, it would be Hanna but I don't know anymore. This show is so confusing and I might just be a little too obsessed. **

** fan23ezria, I'm kind of hoping they're together before the time jump. Being trapped in a dollhouse with a psycho can really make a person think about who's most important in their life, right? I doubt they'll do it but I know for sure it's definitely not the end of Ezria.**


	5. Love and Banter

Chapter 5

Aria

Her hands were still in tight fists when she stepped into the café. Her knuckles were white and her palms were close to bleeding with the way she was digging her fingernails into them. Ezra wasn't exactly hers, but she didn't want him to be anyone else's. And Jackie out of all people. Why did it have to be Jackie?

She wasn't sure whether she should be screaming out of anger or crying out of the pain she felt in her heart.

"What the hell are you doing!" she yelled, despite her better judgment telling her not to. Their lips hadn't even been attached for a few seconds and she was pouncing on them. It wasn't really any of her business who he was kissing but she couldn't help but feel angry. It wasn't that she expected him to wait around when neither of them knew how long she was going to be gone. She didn't. Honestly, when she left, she just wanted Ezra to be happy and if that meant he was with someone else, she had to be okay with it. At least, she kept telling herself she would be okay with it but actually seeing him kiss someone else ate at her. She couldn't handle it.

They jumped back and Ezra looked at Aria with confused eyes before looking back at Jackie. Jackie wore that same smug smirk and was staring at Aria in an 'I won' manner. Aria was beginning to feel dizzy. How did she think that she could come back here and everything would be okay between them again? She had no idea what had happened in the four years she was gone and it wasn't anything she should get worked up over. She wasn't allowed to make rules for his life and she wasn't allowed to tell him who he could or couldn't be with.

"Sorry," Aria mumbled through the lump in her throat. She spun around and headed towards the door with tears pooling in her eyes. She had never hated herself as much as she did right then. She was the one that ended things between them and now she might never have a chance to be with the love of her life. He had her whole heart and she couldn't get it back. She would never be able to love another person the way she loved Ezra Fitz.

"Aria!" Ezra called after her. She didn't answer. Instead, she just kept walking. She couldn't turn around because she didn't want him to see the black tears falling down her face.

Once the cool air hit her face, she felt like she could breathe again. She wasn't sure what to do or where to go. She couldn't go back home because she would have to tell Spencer about what had happened and Spencer would go straight to Ezra and act like he had done a horrible crime. It was Team Sparia. They stood up for each other and if Aria was hurting, Spencer would kill whoever had caused the pain. Maybe not in literal terms because they had dealt with enough death for one lifetime, but definitely metaphorically.  
She was brought out of her thoughts by a hand that was grabbing her arm. "Aria?" he mumbled.

Aria took a deep breath before turning around. Ezra was watching her with worried eyes but that wasn't what caught her eye. What she saw was Jackie standing outside the door watching the two of them with angry eyes. Ezra had come after her, again, like he always had in the past. He never let her get away from him no matter who was in her life. He didn't follow her to college because it wasn't what she wanted, but when she really needed it, when she really needed him, she knew he would always be there for her whether she was his girlfriend or not. That thought made her feel better. She would always have him no matter her relationship status.

She reached up and wiped the tears off her face before speaking. "I'm sorry, Ezra. It's just hard to get used to… _that_."

"Aria, there's nothing to get used to. _She _kissed _me_. I don't want you to get used to it and I don't want to get used to it either." He looked back at the woman and then stepped closer to Aria. Aria was too busy enjoying the defeated look washed across Jackie's face to pay attention to Ezra's desperate one. "It's Jackie. Aria, if you think I'd be kissing Jackie, you really don't know me as well as I thought you did. She was showing me a book that she thought I might like. I didn't think she'd try to do that… again."

Aria bit her lip and smiled up at him, contemplating on saying something that she had been dying to say for years. She decided against it. She had already made a big enough scene for the day, no need to complicate things even further. Besides, Jackie was still standing there, gawking at them. As much as she would love to throw it in her face that Ezra would never belong to her, she didn't want their reunion to happen right then. As much as she wanted to throw her arms around the man that had almost a foot on her and kiss him the way Jackie never could, she refrained. They were standing on a public sidewalk in the daylight and that was just one of the many reasons she wouldn't do it. Ezra hadn't even confirmed that he wanted to go back to that place with her. All he did was confirm what she already knew- that he would always come after her and she could always count on him no matter what.

"Ezra?" Aria whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Yes, Pookie Bear?"

Aria looked up at him and laughed. He knew she hated that name which was exactly why he used it. Her childhood nickname had been the ongoing joke between them and now it was just annoying. She rolled her eyes and completely forgot where her sentence was headed. All she knew was that it was nice to be able to play around with Ezra like old times. She did wish she had a nickname she could tease him with but she couldn't exactly call up his mother and ask for the dirty details. The woman scared the living daylights out of Aria. Maybe it wasn't so much fear as it was hatred but whatever.

"She's still staring at us," she told him instead.

He smiled. "Well, let's let her watch this." He took a step forward and time started slowing down in her mind. He took her face in both of his hands and before she could even realize what was happening, their lips were moving in perfect sync the way they always had. The familiar feeling made her relax and completely forget about anything and everything that had been wandering through her mind. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but there was enough love in that one kiss to make her crazy. She had missed it for so long. It was almost like she had forgotten what it felt like to kiss him and she wanted more of it.

"Ezra! You have customers!"Jackie snapped.

Ezra rolled his eyes and smiled. "You know, Jackie, that's what I have employees for."

Aria couldn't help but laugh at him. Her happiness was bursting to the surface and it took everything for her not to scream how much she loved him at the top of her lungs.

"You have employees, and I have a roommate that doesn't want to see me back home tonight. What do you suggest we do, Mr. Fitz?" Aria's giddy smile was childlike but she didn't care. She loved him too much to even attempt to hide what she was really feeling. She didn't want to act like a mature adult at the moment. She just wanted to be with him. All rational thinking had gone out the window when his lips touched hers. Rational thinking would've been to take it day by day and see where it took them instead of throwing themselves back into such a serious and complicated relationship in a matter of two seconds. This time around, however, there would be no complications. He wasn't her teacher and she wasn't underage. Her family had been on Team Ezria since senior year and his family… they were on team 'Ezra isn't allowed to make his own decisions and live his own life' so it really didn't matter. Now, it was just Aria and Ezra and no one and nothing else that change that.

He smiled at her. "How about I take you back to my house and we eat pie?"

She shook her head. "No more pie. I'm done with pie. But I wouldn't mind going back to your house. I've got to see this place. Your tiny apartment was getting a little too tiny for both of us."

"I didn't see you trying to pitch in for rent."

"Dude, you wouldn't let me buy groceries."

He laughed and leaned in to kiss her again. She had missed their friendly banter. Their relationship was made up of 20% banter and teasing each other anyway. That was just them. They couldn't be serious for long. Obviously it had to happen once in a while because of the events that took place within their relationship but they always added their own silliness to it. They had to or they would've ended up at Radley. Just look at Spencer who took everything too seriously.

"Hey, Jackie? You want to tell Alyssa that she's going to have to close up tonight? I've got plans."  
Aria smirked. "Yeah. And you might want to find someone else to obsess over because Ezra's not available. I hear his new girlfriend is pretty great."

Ezra interlaced their fingers and kissed her cheek. "I think she's amazing."

**This chapter was a lot of mush but it's not all going to be like that. That would get boring even if some of us did wish it was all like that, especially in the show.**

** Sorry I made you guys wait so long after a cliffhanger but obviously he wasn't going to end up with Jackie although I did think about it. I wasn't sure how much y'all would like it if I made them a couple in the beginning. I thought I might lose some faithful readers. Anyway, keep reviewing please. Your reviews are what encourage me to write. The more I get, the faster I write. Remember to let me know what you would like to see happen. **


	6. Brunch with Mom

**Thanks to those of you who have been reviewing. I really appreciate your feedback. Here's chapter 6. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

Chapter 6

Aria

Aria woke up the next morning in Ezra's bed, clothed in nothing but his white cotton sheet. Whoever said makeup sex was the best there was had it exactly on point. She was still trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened the day before. Not just the part where she ended up in his bed but all of it. Of course, she knew he loved her, but she didn't expect him to still be holding onto them after all of the time that had passed.

She rolled over onto her side only to find empty sheets. She was expecting to roll over to a shirtless Fitz with a grin while he watched her sleep. Then, he would proceed to tell her about how she snored and she would deny it though she knew it was true. That was just what had always happened whenever they had unauthorized sleepovers. She always assumed her parents pretended not to know that she wasn't staying with the girls when she left the house and didn't return until the following afternoon. It was probably easier for them than it was to accept that their seventeen-year-old was having sleepovers with a twenty-five-year-old.

Her phone started buzzing on the bedside table and she grabbed it to see if it was Ezra. The silence in his big, 3-bedroom house was obnoxious. The house itself was nice and spacious and not something she had expected Ezra to have. She was actually looking forward to seeing his tiny apartment again. Not that she would ever admit it to him.

_From: Spencer Hastings_

_ Did you have fun?_

Aria rolled her eyes at the first message and continued to scroll through. The girls were always picking on her about Ezra. Not just recently, but ever since that day in the hospital when they found out that their English teacher was friendlier than they thought. They had nicknamed him 'Fitzy' and no matter how hard Aria tried to escape it, she couldn't.

_From: Ezra Fitz_

_ I had to go to The Brew to handle a few things. I should be back by lunch. Love you._

She sighed. It was a Saturday and Saturdays were usually their time to be together. Of course, that was when Ezra was only a teacher and had weekends and summers off. He now owned a business and loved spending time there even when he didn't have to. She missed him even though she had just woken up. She wanted to banter over her snoring again. After their discussion the night before, they were officially "Ezria" again and she was ready to feel like they were a couple instead of a one night stand. That's what it felt like when she woke up to an empty house and no Ezra to talk to.

_From: Ella Montgomery_

_ Do you want to have brunch with me at The Grille? I have barely seen you since you got home._

Aria happily typed back a quick 'yes' before jumping into the shower. She had missed her mom. Though they were now living in the same small town, she still felt as if they were 5 states away. Aria had been so busy transitioning, Ella had been completely left in the dark. She had seen Byron once during a quick run in at the grocery store but they hadn't reached out since. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, it was just that she and her dad had never had the most affectionate relationship so a few words once in a while was all that they needed to maintain their strained relationship. Mike was attending Penn State so she hadn't seen him at all. He had been so wrapped up in college courses and frat parties to come and visit his older, more mature, sister. She often wondered how two siblings could end up so different.

She threw on a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans before heading out the door. Ezra had left a key for her on the kitchen table and she was smiling over that the whole ride to the restaurant. When he lived in the apartment, she had to use the spare key he stupidly left stashed under the mat and it wasn't until they had been dating for over a year that she got her own. By that point, their relationship was following apart with the whole Jake/Aria and Ezra/Malcolm thing so she didn't use it as much. After that was over, she found out her boyfriend had been using her for research so she used it to trash his apartment and didn't use it for a long time afterwards.

Now, it was a new beginning for them where they could start with a clean slate. He wasn't writing a book and they could both be together without worrying about what other people thought. New house, new key, new jobs, new ages, new everything.

Aria walked in The Grille looking for her brunette mother. She spotted her in a booth in the corner and a smile grew on her face. She always loved having mother-daughter time with her and age didn't change that. In fact, she loved it even more now than she had before.

"Mom," she said excitedly when Ella stood up to hug her.

"Hey." Ella smiled as they sat down across from each other. "You look happy."

"How could I not be? I'm having brunch with my mom and I don't have to worry about A watching me drop crumbs on my shirt. My life is perfectly normal and I have my best friends back with me."

"It would make me happy too if my psycho stalker was rotting in prison. You know, Aria, I will never be able to understand A and everything you girls went through without telling us but it does explain a lot of your high school years. I'm so glad you don't have to deal with that anymore."

"You and me both."

They ordered their food and drinks and Aria looked around the restaurant. It hadn't changed much in the passing years. She and the girls used to use it a lot as a hang out spot before The Brew and they would still meet up for dinner with like the reunion night. There weren't many restaurants to eat at in Rosewood so The Brew and The Grille were pretty much their only choices.

"So," Ella said. "Now that you're back home, how are things going with the guys? I know you said there was no one in college but what about now?"

Aria laughed softly to herself. Her mom was always trying to pry in a nonchalant way. "I'm afraid I don't have any information on that." She wasn't sure why she was trying to keep it a secret but it wasn't going to stay that way for long with the goofy smile that washed over her face at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

"Right. So, I talked to Ezra."

"You did? When?"

She smiled. "I got your attention didn't I? Every time I went into The Brew he asked about you. I'm not stupid, Aria. The guy has been married to work and hasn't even tried to go out with anyone. It was kind of depressing to watch him mope around."

"And you're implying?"

"That he always has a stupid smile on his face and he hasn't asked about you since you got back. He seems to hide from me. Every time I go, he has one of the baristas at the cash register and he goes to the back room."

"What did you do to him? He used to like you and then you scared him away."

"Okay, don't tell me. Just remember that in a small town like this, word gets around really quickly and the second you two are holding hands on the sidewalk, I'm going to know about it."

Aria smirked. It must not be as small as she thought it was because they managed to have a pretty heated kiss in public with people watching them.

"What about you, Mom? Any guys in your life?"

Ella rolled her eyes at her daughter and picked at her food that the waitress had brought over. She had long since given up on finding someone. After what went down with Zach, she was content with teaching and FaceTiming her kids when she could. Aria felt bad for her. Ashley Marin had remarried ; why couldn't her mom? She couldn't imagine being alone the rest of her life. She was independent but being alone and being independent were two completely different things. She had promised herself long before that she wasn't going to settle for someone that wasn't all she deserved and she had found that person. She had also made the huge mistake of letting him go but now that they were back together, she wasn't ever going to let him go again.

"There was a time when you were perturbed about Ezra and me and now you're acting like you want us to be together. What changed?"

"He's no longer your teacher."

"But you were accepting of him during senior year and he was my teacher."

She sighed. "What are you getting at?"

"Just say it. Say you were wrong from the very beginning and keeping me and Ezra apart was stupid."

Aria had gotten her mom's stubbornness so it wasn't going to be so easy to get her to admit what they already knew but she attempted anyway.

"Why does it matter anyway? I thought you weren't seeing him."

"I love to hear you say I'm right and you're wrong."

"Aria, he was your teacher. Whether he's good for you or not, it didn't make the relationship right. With that being said, neither of us was right."

"Good enough."

"You're a pain," Ella said with a smirk. "I love you though."

"I love you too."

"Now tell me about you and Ezra."

"Mom," Aria groaned. There wasn't exactly much to tell about what had happened. She was almost positive Ella wouldn't like her to rehash what had happened the day before and other than that, there wasn't really a story to tell. She wasn't trying to keep their relationship a secret, she was just delaying talking to her mom about it. The boys subject always got complicated when it came up between the two of them. After all, it was her mother. Though Aria considered her her friend, her private life stayed as private as she could keep it as long as she wasn't sending her mom texts about her beautiful eyes. That was a lesson she learned and never wanted to relive. Note to self: Don't have boyfriend's name and mom's name next to each other.

**I never really liked Byron but I loved Aria and Ella scenes so I had to include that. Next chapter will be of all the girls together. I love when they all interact with one another. **

**This is going to be really random but does anyone understand what the obsession with B26 is? I get that it's the song that played in the pub but to me it's just a number and everything refers back to it. Haha. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. I'm kinda depending on you guys to help me write the story so I need some ideas and feedback really helps. I stopped writing in other people's POV's because I thought it was better as Aria's story but if you guys like it when I use other people let me know. **


	7. Creepy Cabins and Tortured Souls Part 1

** Abi117, you made my day with your reviews. I'm glad I found someone that's as obsessed with them as I am. Everyone's team Haleb now mostly. So thanks to you and the rest of my readers for reviewing. Here's the next chapter that I had to write after reading what you guys wrote so I hope you enjoy it. **

Chapter 7

Aria

She and the girls were heading up to Spencer's lake house for the weekend so they could enjoy some much needed girl time. Whenever they saw each other lately, it was brief and they weren't alone. Hanna was always glued to Caleb's side and Spencer was glued to Toby's side with his constant visits whenever he had a few days off. Emily was too busy with jumping around between dozens of things to see them and Aria had been with Ezra every night for the past week. After being separated for 4 years, they had a lot to catch up on and there didn't seem to be enough time to do it. She was happier than she had been since she left and she wasn't able to wipe that goofy smile off her face. It was the same for Hanna, except that smile had stayed in place since Caleb returned from Ravenswood. Now, it wasn't just Hanna that was getting impatient for a ring but also the rest of the girls that were rooting for 'Haleb.' Aria wasn't sure where she and Ezra's path was taking them but, at the moment, they were content with just being with each other.

They all set their bags down in the living room and looked around the place. It definitely hadn't been touched in years. It brought back some awful memories with the dirty, old feel of the place. It was like if they closed their eyes, they would see A in his black hoodie watching them. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea in the first place.

"So is our couch still here, Spence?" Hanna asked.

The three girls looked at Hanna and rolled their eyes. "Seriously, Han?" Aria questioned.

"Uh, yeah. My _Nana's_ couch is still here. Why? Are you and Caleb planning on sanctifying it again?"

"Can you two get over the couch thing?" Emily pleaded. "That was five years ago. I'm pretty sure the rats have infected it now." She looked around the house in disgust. For a Hastings property, it was in ruins. Aria would rather have stayed in the barn of her house than stay here.

"What about Ezra's cabin?" Aria suggested. "It's clean."

Now, all eyes were on Aria and they shook their heads slowly. "Last time we went to your 'uncle's' cabin, your boyfriend locked us in the closet. You guys are wimps. Just get over it," Spencer told them. "Someone turn on the light and we'll be fine."

Emily grabbed her bag and brought it over to where they were sitting on the dirty, cold floor. "Never have I ever. We haven't played that game in ages." She pulled out two bottles of alcohol and four shot glasses and set them beside her.

"I'm in," Aria and Spencer both chorused and then laughed at themselves. Emily started pouring drinks and Aria looked up at Hanna who was still standing by the window, looking at the dark night.

"Han, you coming?"

She turned back to them and shook her head. "Someone has to stay sober tonight. Every time we get wasted, someone disappears or someone gets found by an empty grave and I'm just not going to deal with that again. I'll be the responsible one here."

"Well talk about a party pooper," Spencer mumbled.

Aria sighed and looked at the other two girls. "Hanna, there's no more A. We're all the way out here. I don't think there are graves for miles. We're by ourselves. It's okay to have fun and let go for a little while."

"It doesn't matter, Aria. The point is, stupid things happen when we get drunk and I'm not going to risk it."

Spencer snorted. "You were the one that did the drinking during senior year. Are you pregnant?"

"Hell no."

"Hanna's right guys. We should rethink the game plan. I think we need to be sober to fend off the rats tonight," Aria relented. Even though she was a lot better than she had been, the thought of being completely disoriented for even a few minutes did not sit well with her.

"So, Aria. What's new with you and Fitz?" Hanna asked. "There haven't been any couple photos on Facebook. You haven't even changed your status yet."

Aria smiled thinking about Ezra. "We're happy. That's all there is to it."

"Great, so now I'm the only one without anyone," Emily groaned.

"What happened to Paige? Is she coming back?" Hanna looked over at Emily in curiosity thinking the same thing the Spencer and Aria were thinking. They had all found their true love back in high school. They just hadn't realized it at that point and now Emily had lost Paige. After Maya, Paige was the only person that could love Emily the way she deserved to be loved and they were all rooting for them. At the end of the day, it really didn't matter who any of them were with. As long as they were happy, the girls were on team whoever.

Emily shook her head. "I don't think she is. Last I heard, she was dating a swimmer that she met at college."

Silence settled within the cabin and Aria looked around her at the group of girls. "We should make a pact," she proposed. "We will always stick together no matter what happens and we'll be friends forever. Not like the cheesy high school girls that say that and then fall out of contact with each other a few years later but seriously. College was the worst because I didn't have you guys and I don't want to go through that again. We can't lose each other."

The only good thing that came out of the A thing was that their friendship evolved into something much stronger than when they were with Alison. Their loyalty to each other was impeccable. It was something you never saw anymore and they were better people because of it. There were obviously going to be times when there were things they didn't agree on but they loved each other too much to hold onto that so everything was quickly resolved.

"I agree," Emily said.

"Me too. You guys are really important to me and I don't want to think about losing you again," Hanna said.

"There's no way we could ever lose contact," Spencer said. "We know too many secrets of each other's. We have no choice but to stay close."

That was meant to be a joke but no one found it funny. Not even Spencer who regretted it the second that it left her mouth. Aria knew what she meant, they all did but it didn't change everything that secrets had done with their lives.

"I'm so done with secrets and lies," Emily groaned. "They tear us apart. They don't keep us together."

There was a loud knocking on the cabin door and the girls all looked at each other trying to figure out who it could be. None of them were expecting anyone. It was close to midnight in the middle of nowhere. No one said a word, hoping the person would just go away but the knocking continued. Spencer and Aria ended up huddled together practically in the others' lap. There was no cell service where they were so there was no way of knowing if anyone had been trying to reach them. They had the landline but the only people that knew the number were the Hastings'.

Emily finally left the circle they had made and walked quietly over to the door. She grabbed lamp from the table beside the couch and held it up. Some might say they were a little paranoid but they liked to think they had a right to be after being tortured throughout high school.

Emily took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. Hanna had moved to where Aria and Spencer were and the two of them were practically smothering the petite girl.

She slowly turned the knob and opened the door. She jumped back immediately while the door opened and all the girls watched while they sat practically shaking.

**Okay, so I know this chapter was a little more depressing than it was fun but I figured their lives can't be all peachy after everything. They obviously have to be scarred from A so this chapter gave them a chance to talk about it and bond a little. Now, with the ending… I guess you guys will have to see after I get some reviews. I'm so cruel. I promise- it's not going to turn dark where A comes back or anything so there's a spoiler. **


	8. Creepy Cabins and Tortured Souls Part 2

**Sorry it's taken so long to update guys. But here's chapter 8.**

Aria

The door creaked open and they all squinted to see who was there.

"A is gone, A is gone," Aria kept repeating. Part of her didn't want to see who was there but she had to.

A collective gasp filled the room when the blonde hair lit up under the porch light.

"Ali?" the four girls chorused. They weren't sure they were seeing correctly. They hadn't even talked to Ali since they left town. They really didn't want to talk to her. They had gotten used to being a posse of four and the four of them were better friends than any of them could ever be with Alison in the mix.

"That's pathetic, you guys," she told them with that same eerie smile she always wore. "You're faces were great though. I wish I had my phone with me so I could take a picture of that."

"Ali, what the hell are you doing here?" Aria demanded. She wasn't sure if she would rather have seen A at the door. She didn't want Ali to be back and she certainly didn't want to be stuck in a cabin with her.

The four girls looked at each other and Emily put the light back down on the table and shut the door behind Ali.

"Well you guys were having a sleepover and didn't invite me. I can only assume it was because I got a new number and you didn't know it, right?"

"Ali, this isn't high school. We're not playing dress up in your room," Spencer told her. "We don't have to invite you to anything. You didn't answer Aria's question. How did you even know where we were?"

She picked up the bottle of alcohol and filled the glass to the rim. "Veronica told me. If I remember correctly, our sleepovers were always so much fun so I thought I would join you."

"So you wanted to disappear again and put us through hell right after we escape you?" Hanna said. "Let's face it Ali. You can't stand not being the center of attention and now that we're not focused on you, you're going to do something again aren't you? I'm done playing your games."

"Please. I'm not the idiot, Hefty Hanna. I've still got all the attention I need. Rosewood is a small town and people never forget the poor teenager that was wrongfully charged with murder." She took a long sip of the drug and grinned at them. "I'm sorry. How rude of me. Did you guys want some?"

They all shook their heads and stared at the childlike adult in shock. Plenty of things had changed over the years but Alison wasn't one of them.

Aria was no longer in the mood for a girls night out. She just wanted to get home and lay wrapped in Ezra's strong arms knowing he could protect her from everything. Including psychotic women that she used to be friends with. There was no telling what Alison was going to do but one thing was for sure, no one was going to be sleeping. Not with her looming around. They had no cell service and no way to escape her. Alison might not be a murderer, but that didn't mean she wasn't as crazy as one.

"What's got you guys so quiet?" she asked. "Not even any party music playing."

"Alison, what do you want?" Spencer demanded. Her tone was stern and Aria could see her hands balling into fists which was very un-Spencer-like. Out of the four of them, she was the least likely to lose it on someone.

"I thought I should tell you that I'm coming back to Rosewood now. Jason's letting me stay in the house until I can find a place. Do you guys know any good apartments?"

They stayed quiet. They didn't want to make conversation with her and she didn't seem to mind.

"So what's going on with your bed buddies?"

She looked straight at Aria with a mysterious look that sent chills down her spine. "I'm surprised Ezra hasn't knocked up one of his student's. How much do you really know about him, Aria? I mean, for two years everything was a lie. What makes you think you can believe anything that comes out of his mouth?" She poured herself another glass and What about you Hanna? Has Caleb made any more trips to the dark side? Rosewood really made him crazy. How's Jenna doing, Spencer? Toby still hitting that since his pathetic girlfriend was halfway across the country?"

"I take back what I said about feeling lonely," Emily said. "I'm glad I have no bed buddy at the moment."

Alison moved to where Emily was standing with that smirk still in place. "Aww, poor Em. I'm sure there is someone that could use you for practice. Don't get discouraged."

"That's it!" Spencer exclaimed. "Get out of my house! No one invited you because everyone hates you! I'm sure it hurts to know that there are actually people that hate _the _Alison DiLaurentis but they do and we do. You can come back to Rosewood, but we will be the girls pointing and whispering so get used to it. Now get out of my house before I call the cops and add breaking and entering to your rap sheet. Guess what, Sweetheart, you aren't the only liar in Rosewood."

The eerie smirk never left Alison's face while Spencer stood up and all but kicked her butt out of the house. Aria and Hanna clung tighter to each other and waited until they heard the car start up and take off to release their grip.

It took the girls a few minutes to speak again. How could someone go from seemingly normal to terrifying and unbearable? Of course, the setting was spooky enough and everything with A made everything way more terrifying than it should be. Halloween was no longer fun for them. It was the time of year when you hide in your closet and wait to die. They were constantly looking over their shoulders and afraid of a simple noise. Ali wasn't a serial killer that was after them, she was just… different and none of them could pinpoint why they were so afraid of her. Only the four of them could talk about their fears because to everyone else, and even themselves, they seemed like idiots. They were four grown women afraid of a bump in the night. Their 'bed buddies' understood and listened to them and held them when they were afraid but they would never really get what they went through. Aria loved having Ezra for the sole purpose of having someone to hold her when she had a panic attack and when she made up things in her head, she was able to wake him up and he would go downstairs and check everything out just to ease her paranoid mind. He did whatever he could to take care of her and make her feel as safe as possible and she loved him even more for that. He didn't care if he was up all night because she couldn't sleep, he loved her and if that meant showing up for work with one of his socks and one of hers on his feet because he was too tired to see, so be it.

"Race you to the car," Aria said, grabbing her things from the floor and rushing out the front door. She tried not to let what Alison said linger in her mind too much. She trusted Ezra more than she had ever trusted anyone. They had a brand new beginning after the book, much like what was happening between them now. The past was erased and it was just two adults in a serious relationship. That was all there was to it.

The girls quickly followed her to the car with Hanna and Emily in the front seat and Aria and Spencer in the back. Though they would never admit it, within their group was two groups. All four of them were very close friends but there was team Sparia and team Hanily. They all loved each other like sisters but there had always been a different kind of friendship between the two groups.

"Do you guys actually think she's coming back?" Hanna asked when they were finally able to speak again.

"Why wouldn't she? She can't get the attention anywhere else and she just loves to mess with our lives. Every time we're finally at a good place, it's like 'oh hey, I'm alive' or 'I'm coming back to drive you crazy,'" Spencer remarked.

"I hate to break it to you, Spence, but we weren't exactly in a good place when Ali returned," Emily responded. "If I remember correctly, we were spending our days being looked at like the town freaks and our nights hunting down a killer."

"Well we were still good without her in our lives. Or good with the illusions that she was alive and talking to us in our sleep and not really alive. I don't even know what you want to call our high school years."

"Wow," Aria retorted. "Spencer at a loss for words? This should be put in the record books."

"Very funny, Aria. Please tell me you're coming home tonight."

Aria laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "Hell no. I'm staying with Ezra. No offense, Spence, but if Ali were to decide to chop us into little bitty pieces in our sleep, we would die. This way, Ezra dies first and I have time to escape."

Spencer laughed and lay her head on the petite woman's shoulder. "I'm telling him you said that. Do you have any room in that bed for me?"

"Yeah because that wouldn't be awkward at all."

"Seriously I need a place to stay tonight."

"Me too," Emily joined in.

"Yeah, so do I. Caleb's working night shift at the station. Come on, you can't leave three girls to fend for themselves."

Aria sighed and looked at them. "I really don't think Ali's going to come chop us up into little bitty pieces."

"Aria, please?"

She groaned and then laughed again at how idiotic the whole situation was. The girls were going to have a sleepover at their former English teacher's house because they were too scared to be the independent women they were.

Aria tiptoed into their bedroom and tapped Ezra's shoulder. That quickly turned into shoving him when he wouldn't wake up. Ezra could either be the lightest sleeper you knew or the heaviest sleeper depending on the night. It was really strange.

Ezra groaned and his eyes blinked open a few times before his vision was clear enough to see her. Aria hadn't told them she was coming home so he understandably jumped when he saw her standing there. "Babe?" she said softly.

"I thought you were with the girls at Spencer's lake house."

"Change of plans. Can we stay here tonight instead?"

He yawned and nodded. He still wasn't more than half awake so he probably wouldn't remember anything in the morning when he woke up to three girls scattered around his bedroom floor and another one snuggled tightly into his body. She counted herself lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend.

** Abi117, I agree about the sisters thing. I love the bond they have. If only friendships like that existed in my world. I miss Ezria too. I have to pretend like the Ezra/book thing never happened last season because I hated the way it messed up their story. I'm really going to be upset if something doesn't happen with them next season. The way they left it was just horrible (though I did enjoy Ezra punching the wall). The show's just getting frustrating all around. The A storyline is impossible and now they've messed up Ezria. **

**And whoever mentioned Never Have I Ever with all of the boyfriends, I really love that idea. I've always enjoyed stories that incorporate that game so I will save it for a later chapter.**

** I'm not going to be able to update so often anymore, at least for the time being, but I will keep writing. I'm kind of stuck with a bad case of writers block right now. Next chapter will be fun, I swear. **


	9. Morning Surprises

Chapter 9

Ezra

Ezra's eyes lazily fluttered open after a good night's sleep. As good of a night it could've been without Aria lying with him in bed. He was excited for the girls to be getting back that afternoon. They all deserved time alone together but that didn't mean he didn't miss Aria and he was definitely worried about her. He was worried about her when she's standing by his side and that wasn't ever going to change. Aria was the woman he wanted to spend forever with and he couldn't wait to start their future together. He knew he was crazy for jumping to such serious subjects so early on but what could he say? He was a hopeless romantic and Aria was his soul mate.

He lay there for a few minutes pondering what he was going to do with all of his free time. He could go down to The Brew and work but that seemed to be a dreaded thing to do for the day.

Sighing, he dragged himself out of bed to get ready for the day ahead… whatever that included. Lately, when Aria wasn't with him, he was like a sad and lonely puppy that couldn't find anything that he wanted to do. Sure, he had gotten along fine for four years when she wasn't with him, but now it was like without her, everything else seemed pointless.

He stepped on something soft that wasn't his hardwood floor. At first he thought it was a shirt that had been thrown in the floor but he realized differently when he bent down to pick it up. There was a sleeping figure in his bedroom floor. Hanna was sleeping like it wasn't strange for her to be in her friend's boyfriend's bedroom aka her former English teacher's bedroom aka her former stalker's bedroom. He looked at her for a second trying to figure out what to do. Why was she there? And how in the world did she get in? He had gone to sleep around 11 so it had to be sometime after that. If she was in his room, where was Caleb or the other girls and why did she choose his house out of all places?

It dawned on him that she was supposed to be at the cabin with the other girls. His eyes quickly scanned the room and found 2 other sleeping girls in the floor and one curled into a ball on his bed. He was thankful that he never got into the habit of sleeping naked. He never expected to wake up to this… ever.

"This day can't get any weirder," he mumbled to himself. He made his way to the bathroom, careful not to wake anyone. Aria was a heavy sleeper but he wasn't sure about the rest of the girls that were scattered around his room. How in the world they all ended up at his house, he had no idea.

After showering and dressing, Ezra made his way downstairs to start some coffee because he knew Aria was going to want some when she woke up. She could live on coffee if she was allowed. She was addicted. He had a cup often just because he owned a café but he could also go without it unlike Aria.

It was only 8 AM and the girls were probably going to be sleeping for another hour or so he was probably going to go for a run. That was something he hadn't done in many weeks. It used to be something he did daily. He had only gotten Aria up a few times to go running with him because she only slept over his house on Friday's and Saturday's in high school and she was not a morning person at all.

When he reached the bottom of his stairs, he saw Caleb and Toby sitting at his kitchen island drinking coffee and conversing over something he couldn't hear.  
"I was wrong. This day just got much weirder. Did I throw a party last night that I'm not aware of?"

The guys turned around to look at him with smiles on their faces.

"Good morning, Mr. Fitz," Caleb said.

"Yeah, yeah. Good morning. Why are all of the girls in my room and their boyfriends in my kitchen? I feel like I'm hungover but never got to party."

"Hanna texted me last night to say that they would be here and we had plans so I was waiting for her to wake up. Toby texted me and said he wanted to surprise Spencer so I told him where to find us."

"And you guys don't find this at all weird?"

Toby shook his head. "You obviously haven't been one of us for long enough."

Ezra had been one of them long enough to know that the close bond between everyone was odd but encouraging. He had been around long enough to know that friendships didn't last long but there's was like a forever bond. Each of them had bonded with every person in the group and it was pretty cool to see. Ezra was still easing his way into the group but they were very welcoming. Even after the whole book writing fiasco.

He felt hands wrap around his waist and he spun around to see a giggling Aria. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and lay her head on his chest as they stood there.

"So is anyone going to tell me what is going on here?" Ezra asked.

"Alison's back," Aria mumbled. Her giggly composure suddenly turned serious and he regretted asking.

"Perfect," Caleb sarcastically remarked.

"Hey, since Toby's in town we should all do something tonight. Something with lots of alcohol. What do you say boys?"

"I'm in. I'm tired of the serious cop business. I need a break."

"I'm in too. I'm off," Caleb added. He grabbed an apple off the counter and bit into it like he didn't just mooch food off his friend's boyfriend.

"Ezra?" Aria asked. "You can't be the only one out on this. I know the girls are all going to be on board after last night being a bust."

"Yeah, sure." The last time they had done something with lots of alcohol was after high school graduation and it had been extremely awkward for Ezra. There he was, playing Never Have I Ever with his high school students while not doing anything about the underage drinking going on. He was the only one that didn't drink because he didn't want all of them to be wasted given their history and also because he was the only responsible one in the room. It was definitely not something he wanted to relive. He had found out many things about his students that he would rather not have known. Aria was a very flirty drunk and it had taken everything in him to not give in to her. This time, at least he could have fun with it and not be the adult.

"There's only one more week until you return to Rosewood," Aria said to Toby. "You excited?"

He shrugged. "It's Rosewood. With the history in this town, I'm just excited to be back with Spencer and you guys. That's about it. And our apartment. It's pretty great."

"You better be prepared, Toby, Spencer has a lot of things. You will have no room for your own crap."

Ezra picked up on the conversation between the two of them. Aria was going to be alone in her apartment after next week and he was here living in this big house all alone. As the conversation went on between the two of them, he started thinking about that future they had been talking about so often since she had gotten back. What came next for them?

"Morning, All," Hanna announced while skipping down the staircase. When she saw Caleb, she ran over to him and launched herself into his arms with a kiss that was a little too wild for Ezra's eyes. He knew when Aria called him an old man that she was just teasing him but now, he couldn't help but feel like one. Nothing any of them did bothered anyone else of the group but he was always the one that felt uneasy about witnessing things like that or overhearing Aria's phone conversations with them, specifically Hanna, about things that he figured should've been kept between Hanna and Caleb. Ezra was still getting used to living the young adult life again.

"So how about we all meet here at 7," Caleb offered.

Ezra looked at Aria for help but she didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that they had just claimed his house as their new party central. He didn't mind being a part of these things anymore but they still could've asked him before making plans.

"Sounds good," Toby said.

"I don't know what we're doing, but I'm on board with it," Hanna said, pushing herself up onto the counter and stealing a banana.

"I'm here anyway," Aria replied, wrapping her arms around Ezra's waist and snuggling into his side.

"I'll bring alcohol," Caleb offered.

Ezra sighed but kept the smile on his face as if to not give away the fact that he was uncomfortable with this. He knew he was just going to have to get used to it, but it kind of felt as if his space was being invaded. After all, there would be six other people gathered in his house getting drunk off their asses and God knows what else was going to go on. They weren't big party people so it wasn't like it was going to become a weekly ritual so he took a deep breath and went along with it. He wasn't going to be a party pooper when they were accepting him into their tight knit group.

"Great," Ezra said, trying, and failing, to sound confident.

**Sorry for the wait guys. Next chapter will be fun as promised. This was more of a filler chapter and you got to see Ezra's reaction to the girls scattered around his room like Abi117 suggested. Haha. Leave a review and tell me (besides Never Have I Ever) what you would like to see in the next chapter. **


	10. Never Have I Ever- been proposed to

Chapter 10

Aria

Everyone had arrived at Ezra's house and Hanna had taken control of the music just so she could annoy the guys by blasting One Direction. Hanna enjoyed being obnoxious but that's what made her so much fun. However, when you're trying to have fun and a boy band is singing love songs, it's not exactly the night everyone pictured.

"Dear God, someone save me," Ezra groaned. Hanna was singing at the top of her lungs and even the girls were ready to shut her up. At first, they had gone along with it just because the guys couldn't escape them and they thoroughly enjoyed being obnoxious, but now Hanna was the only one being stupid.

"Okay, Han, if you don't change this song, I'm going to down that bottle of alcohol right now," Aria whined.

Hanna groaned and turned down the music. "Okay fine. Let's find a way to put that alcohol to good use." She grabbed the bottle of vodka and seven shot glasses and filled them to the brim. She scattered them around the island where everyone was taking a seat, preparing themselves for a drunken night of fun. Aria wasn't sure what to expect with all of them getting drunk together. She hadn't taken a sip of alcohol since before A was gone and she was actually nervous about it. Of course, with Ezra there, she would be too busy trying to rip his clothes off of him to do something stupid. Some people would call jumping your boyfriend's bones in front of your friends stupid but she was already horny without the alcohol.

"I'll start," Hanna offered, a little too excited. "Never have I ever had sex with a girl." Emily, Caleb, Ezra, and Toby all took a shot.

"Really, Han?" Aria asked with a roll of her eyes. "Can't you think of anything better?"

She shrugged. "Hey, I've done a lot and I don't want to be the one taking a shot because no one else did."

Aria sighed. Hanna was definitely the craziest out of all of them. No one was as bold as her. "My turn. Never have I ever made a sex tape." Caleb and Hanna both took a shot. Point made.

"Oh my God," Ezra groaned. "I'm suddenly not too comfortable with this."

Caleb laughed. "You'll be fine in a second, Man. Okay, never have I ever been in an illegal relationship."

"That's not fair," Aria said after downing her first glass. Last time they played, the game ended up with she and Ezra completely wasted because they wouldn't stop using them as targets.

"Hey, we're trying to get the old guy to loosen up," Toby told her. "We could always bring up Ezra's past so we can leave you out of it if you want to be a downer."

Aria shook her head. "Hell no! Hit me."

He nodded. "That's what I thought. Never have I ever been skinny dipping." Hanna, Caleb, Emily, and Ezra all took a shot.

Aria turned her head to Ezra and arched her eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"College. Don't ask. Never have I ever showed up at my boyfriend's doorstep at 3AM because I was horny."

Aria and Hanna took a shot and Aria rolled her eyes at him. "It was one time!" She had to sneak out of the house senior year just because she woke up in the middle of the night after a very explicit dream about her boyfriend.

"Okay does this always have to be just sexual? Can we mix it up a bit? Like, never have I ever stolen something."

Hanna and Caleb took a shot. Hanna was already starting to look hazed and definitely acting tipsy. It never took long for Hanna because she was such a wild child anyway. You could say practically anything and she'd take a shot. Emily would be the next of the four girls to be drunk and then Aria and then Spencer being the practical and rather boring one that never did anything. They would always have to say things that they knew Spencer had done just to get her the least bit tipsy. After being best friends forever and knowing every single thing about each other, that's basically what the game became anyway- who can get who drunk first. Ezra was still discovering things with his former students and it got amusing.

"Never have I ever butt dialed someone during sex," Spencer said.

Aria and Ezra both started laughing and took a shot. "Seriously?" That was one thing that she hadn't told anyone. It was too embarrassing. "Who?"

Aria looked at Ezra and then down at the table. "My phone was on the bed and I didn't lock it. Long story short, I still can't look my mom in the eye." That was not something anyone ever wanted to happen to them. She was just glad it had never happened when she was in high school. That could've been way worse than now when it was 2 adults.

"When was this?" Spencer asked, her eyes wide.

"The night after I had brunch with her. Right after I had just denied Ezra and me."

A loud gasp went through the room and Ezra held his face in his hands, his cheeks bright red. Ella hadn't tried to go to The Brew since then and they all understood why. It was just easier to not see the guy you heard your daughter getting hot and heavy with over the phone at midnight.

They all took turns taking shots until they were completely wasted. Aria was having more fun right then than she could ever remember having. Of course, she couldn't remember anything at the moment. She did know that they were going to have to do something like this more often. It wasn't so bad to lose control as long as you took everyone's keys and hid them in a place a drunk person couldn't find and made sure the doors and windows were locks before taking your first shot.

Aria was unbuttoning Ezra's shirt and kissing him wherever there was skin available. He was letting her too. She was definitely enjoying having the loosened up side of Ezra come out and party for once. She was taking full advantage of it. Spencer had already passed out from her lack of experience with alcohol and Toby was lying on the couch giggling the way no one had ever known him to do. Hanna and Caleb were taking full advantage of Ezra's empty guest room floor. That was another reason it was great that Ezra was out of it- he had no idea. And they would all be too hungover in the morning to even care.

"Guys, there's a dog in here," Toby said, giggling in the process.

Aria ignored him and continued what she was doing, giggling on her own. "Ezra," she whined. "Your hands aren't working white." She cackled again and moved herself so she was straddling him while he sat on the floor. "I meant right." She kissed him all over, her hands moving faster to peel off clothing wherever possible. She smiled against his lips and started grinding against him, his desperate moans fueling her fire more. She ran her tongue from his ear down to his chest and he giggled at her.

"Mr. Fitz, I'm bored," she groaned. His hands grabbed hold of her ass and pulled her tighter against him.

"We should get married," he mumbled when her lips moved down to his chest.

Everything stopped in that moment. That was the biggest, most confusing buzzkill ever. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted- for him to be too drunk to know what he was saying or for him to be sober enough to realize what he was saying. She was suddenly way too sober.  
Aria flipped over to the side of him and he groaned. "Why'd you stop?"

"Ezra, what did you just say?"

"Why did you stop?" His speech was slurred and he couldn't sit up straight without wobbling around. He was too wasted to remember.

Of all times for her best friends to be unconscious, this had to be the time.

"Because I'm tired." She left him in only his boxers, sitting on the hardwood and made her way up to his bedroom. Or, technically, their bedroom. She spent just as much time in it as he did. Technically, he did propose, right? Was she supposed to bring it up in the morning or just let it go and pretend like nothing had happened?

"Mrs. Aria Fitz?" she asked herself. The name sounded vaguely familiar, though, she had never said it out loud before.

Falling back on the bed, she groaned. They were never ever getting trashed again.

**Don't forget to review, please. So what do you guys think should happen from here? **


	11. Hungover and Making Decisions

** Ezraisbae, I loved your idea, so thanks for that and thanks to everyone else who reviewed.**

Chapter 11

Aria

She sent everyone home at the crack of dawn before Ezra could wake up. She was no longer in the mood to party with her friends. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all that night. All she could think about was what Ezra had asked her. What if he was serious? What would her response be? But then if he wasn't would she be disappointed? She didn't even know what she wanted.

Ezra came downstairs sulking his way to the kitchen with his hand clutching his head. "No more parties," he groaned. She smiled at the man that looked like death and poured him a cup of coffee. "Am I really that old? You were a lot more drunk than I was and you're not hungover." She wished she were. Maybe then, she wouldn't remember a thing from the night before and they could go on with the day as if it were any other normal, after party day where they slept half the day and prayed to sleep the other half.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" she asked him, completely ignoring his attempt at a joke.

He took a sip of his coffee and rested his head on his fist. "I remember playing Never Have I Ever which turned into a very sexual game and I remember your friends making things up that only I've done so I would get drunk and the rest of the night is a black hole." After a while, the questions all mixed together and she couldn't remember any of the game. For all she knew, she was taking shots for everything mentioned. Even the stupid things that were inevitably said when they were all drunk and the person in front of you looked like a dragon.

So he didn't remember anything. Was she supposed to bring it up or just let it go like nothing at all happened? The longer she sat and thought about it, the more she wanted him to be serious. They had been together for two years and she was practically living with him now. That was long enough to have waited for a fat rock. Plus, it would be kind of fun to be able to rub it in Hanna's face that she got the diamond before her. Hanna might suggest a double wedding and Aria would have to politely decline but she would make the attempt at one. And what was Aria going to do with the maid of honor thing? She wanted Spencer but what would Emily and Hanna think about that? They hadn't even gotten engaged yet and she was already planning their wedding. Maybe she would let Hanna plan it if she wasn't busy planning her own. She was a lot better at things like that and Aria would just get bored with it. That's what she could do. Hanna could be the wedding planner, Spencer could be the maid of honor and Emily… would do something special that might have to be made up but something special nonetheless.

She took a seat on the barstool beside him. "So you don't remember saying anything or… asking anything?" her voice was barely above a whisper.

He shook his head. "Are the rest of them still passed out or something? Where is everyone?"

Aria slammed her coffee cup down on the table a little louder than she meant it to be. "Ezra!"

He flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. "Can you not be so loud? Some of us are not very good at being hungover."

"Ezra!" she yelled again. She didn't really care that she was practically killing the guy. She wanted answers… or questions. Whatever way you want to put it.

He cringed and looked at her, his eyes squeezed shut. "What?"

"Last night. You said we should get married."

He set his mug down and looked at her with a suddenly concerned expression. There was no shock evident at all which made it even weirder. "I did?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I don't make something like that up."

"And what did you say?"

She shrugged. "I asked about it and you had no idea what you said so I said I was going to bed."

There was an awkward silence for a while and both of them sat there not being able to meet the others' eyes. She twirled her ring around her finger as a nervous habit and out of the corner of her eye, she could see his knee bouncing which was his nervous habit. After being together for so long, you learn everything about the other person. The way they laugh, the way they look at every point in the day, the way they smile. You learn exactly what they do when they're nervous or when they're excited, or angry. Aria knew everything about Ezra. She knew all the things about him that she didn't even know about herself. She could read him easily and she tried to pretend like he wasn't the same way with her but he was. She never admitted it but he knew he was right. ALL THE TIME. She hated that he knew her so well but it was also something that she had always loved. They worked well together because there was no surprises- not anymore anyway.

"I had been thinking about asking you for a while but I guess that's why they call alcohol liquid courage." He laughed a humorless laugh and took another sip of his coffee.

She bit her lip, not knowing how to respond to that. Relief bubbled within her as did happiness but the way Ezra didn't seem too happy about the one question that should've been the happiest of her life, made her smile fade as quickly as it had appeared. "So…"she prompted.

"So what do you want?"

"I want you to ask me when you're not drunk."

He smiled. "I think we can arrange that, Ms. Montgomery." He leaned in for a kiss but she backed away.

"Hell no. Your breath reeks of alcohol. Drink your coffee, Mr. Fitz, and brush your teeth. We will discuss this later."

"What is there to discuss? Didn't you just say you wanted to get married?"

She shook her head. "Do you want us to be known as the student/teacher affair AND the boring couple. When people ask how you proposed, I'm not going to tell them you were drunk and you had no idea that you did."

He smirked. "I don't think you can be the student/teacher couple and be boring at the same time. It's like an oxymoron."

She playfully slapped him in the arm and smiled. It was true, their relationship was anything but boring. Even when they were holed up in his apartment all weekend, they were still hiding from everyone and anytime someone showed up at the door, she had to hide in the bathroom. How many couples get to say they played hide and seek their first year of dating? "I'm not saying we have to go to Disney World and you have to propose in front of the castle, but at least do it when you're not drunk or hungover."

He laughed and looked at her with tired eyes. "You're so weird, but I love you for the weird dork you are."

"Says the pedophile."

"Says the teenage girl that goes to bars looking for guys to hook up with."

"Says the stalker." She bit her lip and cringed at the words as soon as they left her mouth. There was a silent agreement between the two of them not to go back there. Just like she never mentioned the scar whenever he was shirtless. Honestly, she was glad that he had that tiny scar. It was a reminder of his love for her and how he would go to the end of the earth to protect her. He was perfectly imperfect and how they met and why they met didn't matter. This wasn't then. This was now. No secrets. No regrets. "I didn't mean to go there. New conversation?"

"Where do you stand on kids?"

Her jaw dropped open and she swiveled her chair so that she was facing him. They had never, not once, talked about kids. They had barely talked about their future. They both had their own assumptions about what was going to happen but they hadn't talked about it together. Especially in the past, it was too weird to talk about the future when you didn't know if your boyfriend was going to be in jail or not.

"Okay, now I'm scared."  
"Why? Time's wasting away."

She stood up from the island and shook her head. This was completely crazy. "The alcohol hasn't worn off yet. I'm going to take a shower."

"Can I come?"

She turned around to face him with arched eyebrows. "I thought you were hungover?"

He shook his head. "I can wash your hair with a headache, Aria. It doesn't take a rocket scientist."

She sighed and gave in. "Fine. But there will be no baby making in that shower. I've had a weird enough morning."

"If that's the way it has to be," he groaned.

She laughed at him and held her hand out for him take while leading him up the stairs.

** Don't forget to review, please. **

** New question that has nothing to do with the story- Where is everyone getting Daisy Fitz from? Every time I read a story, they have a daughter named Daisy. People are asking Marlene to make them have a child and name her Daisy. Is there some part in an episode where they discuss this or is it just a trend that caught on in the Ezria community?**

** What should happen now? I love reading your feedback and seeing what you want to happen.**


	12. Commitments

**Chapter 12**

Aria

"Do I have to help today?" Ezra groaned. Aria was at his bedside shaking him to wake him up. She had already spent an hour getting ready and Ezra was still not awake. She had done everything she could to get his lazy ass out of bed. The only she was missing was an air horn which she was planning on buying after the day was out.

"Yes. I mean, if you don't help move Spencer into Toby's house, I'm not moving into your house."

He threw the pillow off his face and looked up at the brunette. "Fine. Done. I'll help, but when are you moving in?"

"I'm already living here. You just got the perk of not having all of my crap taking up your space." She grabbed his hands and pulled him up from the bed, although she really didn't do much. Her petite body couldn't do much against his manly self. If he wanted to, he would pull her on top of him instead of playing along like he did so often, but lucky for them, he didn't play that game today. They had thirty minutes to get back to the apartment and move things. The girls, excluding Aria, were all at Spencer's house setting up everything and Aria and the guys were moving things. Technically, Aria was just overseeing the operation because Spencer wanted someone at the apartment with them to make sure that they didn't get distracted or go through her things. She was a little over paranoid about the guys touching her things even though most of it was wrapped in plastic and packed in boxes.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. Wanna join?" His grin was tempting, but she looked away so it was easier.

She poked his bare chest with a smile on her face. "First of all, I'm already ready, Sleeping Beauty. Second of all, when we take a shower together, it's never a _quick_ shower."

He rolled his eyes and sulked his way to the bathroom. "Why do I get stuck moving Spencer's things?"

"Because you are a part of us now and we do everything together. We don't let our people move their own things. They're going to help me move. That's just how it works. Stop pouting and get over it. When you and I are a thing, you and Spencer, Hanna, Emily, Caleb, and Toby are a thing. Get it? Got it? Good."

Aria turned on her black heels and walked out of the bedroom, to the other guest room. Ezra had given her permission to use the first guest room as her dark room. Technically, he had told her that if she asked for permission to do one more thing in _their_ house, he was going to punch a hole in the wall. Theoretically, obviously. Anyway, since then, she was always standing in there envisioning what the dark room would look like when she was done with it. Ezra had his office in the hallway of the downstairs, which left one extra bedroom that they didn't know what they were going to do with. That was the one she found herself in at the moment. She tried not to get too far ahead of herself. She didn't even have a rock on her finger yet and she was already envisioning what would happen to the extra guest bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

She turned around, startled by Ezra's sudden presence in the empty room. "You take really fast showers, Mister."

"I needed a towel. I thought you were making the other room into your dark room because it only has one window?"

She nodded, a guilty smile on her face. "I was. I was just thinking about things because this is the bigger room. But you're right. The first one has only one window. I'm going to make some coffee. I'll see you after your shower. And hurry up. Please. I don't want to be late."

Aria walked out of the room realizing she probably shouldn't be so obvious about things. There was no way he would buy any lies that came out of her mouth. He knew her too well. She just didn't want to talk to him about what she was thinking about. It all just seemed too weird. Hanna and Caleb had talked about kids and marriage and those things but they decided that they didn't want kids right away because they wanted to be able to have fun. Caleb wanted to have fun without the wedding band and Hanna was the other way but they were the same as far as the kids subject. At least they talked about it. Aria and Ezra had just briefly talked about marriage and it was only as far as both of them agreeing that they wanted to be married. Besides, her career was just taking off anyway. She didn't have time for kids or anything of that sort. Ezra, she knew, was ready to settle down and have it all. He had practically done everything anyway. Now, he was just ready for commitment. That was good for her even if she couldn't bring herself to talk about it with him.

"So when are you going to propose to Hanna?" Aria asked Caleb while they loaded boxes into the truck.

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. I have a ring. Actually, I have the one Hanna picked out that she all but bought for herself. I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Trust me, Caleb. The right time is sooner rather than later. The girl is losing it. I'm so tired of hearing about your commitment issues."

Caleb laughed at her and shook his head in disbelief. "She said I have commitment issues?"

Aria nodded. "Along with a few other choice words. You guys have been together for six years. Of course she wants something."

"Okay and what about you Ms. 'I'm so cool. I'm dating my teacher?' Have any wedding plans yet?"

Toby and Ezra came out of the building with boxes in their arms and Aria looked at Caleb. "We need to go get more boxes." She grabbed his hand and yanked him away from the truck, knocking him off balance for a few steps. "None of the girls know, so you're not going to let it slip, got it?"

"So you two are getting married?"

"Sort of. He asked when he was drunk and then he said he'd ask me when he wasn't drunk or hungover, so now I'm waiting. But at least him and I have gotten farther than you two have. If you were my boyfriend, your ass would be on the couch. You know what girls think when you're living with them but show no sign of commitment? They think you're using them for sex."  
He choked on his spit and looked at Aria with wide eyes. "That's not…"

"It doesn't matter…" she interrupted. "You're sleeping with her, she's playing housewife and doing everything for you, you're not showing that you want more out of the relationship. She feels used and unappreciated. Once the honeymoon phase is over, you've got to work to make your girl happy."

Caleb picked up a lamp from her room and Aria took a few bags of clothes. "I love you, but we're good. And what's the point in marriage anyway? You sign a piece of paper, say 'I do', and it's over. The end."

"Ezra, smack him for me!" Aria told Ezra when they passed the other two guys. She had no free hand, but that's what she had Ezra for.

Ezra did as told and smacked Caleb, hard, in the arm. No questions asked. Toby looked at all of them with scrunched eyebrows, trying to figure out why his friends were such freaks.

"Ow! What the hell!" he yelled, looking back at Ezra.

"I don't know. But I don't chance it with Aria," Ezra responded. "If I don't do as told, she gets mean and that's not fun for anyone."

Aria smirked, loving the control she had over her boyfriend. "You _never ever_ say that to a woman, got it? What does Hanna see in you anyway? You're awful!"

"Thanks. You're pretty great yourself," he sarcastically responded.

Her phone started ringing in the back pocket of her jeans and she answered it cautiously. Last time she had gotten a call, I had been from Hanna who was fuming because Spencer was being controlling and annoying. Hanna called Aria because apparently it was her job to calm the obsessive woman down but she didn't do so well with that. From the phone calls she had gotten and the angry texts that she had received and not replied to, Aria was afraid to go over to that house. It was like three women PMSing times seven. The three guys and Aria were taking their sweet time getting things loaded. They weren't ready to walk into a warzone.

"Where are you?" Spencer yelled into the phone.

Aria put the phone on speaker while the four of them stood in the staircase of the apartment building. "We're almost done," Aria replied honestly. She looked around at the guys that wore nervous expressions. Toby was cringing at the sound of his angry girlfriend's voice. At least the rest of them got to go home at the end of it. He had to live with the woman that, at times, could be more than anyone could handle. Aria knew this better than anyone. Spencer was just plain scary.

"You were almost done a half an hour ago!"

Caleb lay a hand on Toby's shoulder. "This is your last chance to run. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? You can escape. Once you're in there, there's no going back."

"I heard that!" Spencer's voice boomed through the speakers. "I'm telling Hanna what you said, Caleb. She already hates you because of your commitment issues."

He turned to Aria with a frustrated expression. "Does everyone know about me not proposing? I mean, Toby hasn't and Ezra hasn't either. Why am I the one with commitment issues?"

Aria shrugged with a smile. "Ezra sort of did and Toby's been in New York. You have no excuse."

"Wait," Spencer said, her voice a lot lighter than before. "When did Ezra propose?"

"Gotta go. Bye!" Aria hurriedly said into the phone. That wasn't supposed to slip out. She wasn't even supposed to tell Caleb. Having your boyfriend propose to you while being hammered didn't really call for celebration.

"Okay, let's get the few other boxes and head out to get some lunch," Aria suggested.

"Sounds good," Ezra agreed.

"Hey, what do you guys think of taking a trip to New York one weekend?" Toby asked. "There's a lot I want to show you guys and I'm sure we're all ready for a vacation. After everyone gets moved in, we should do that."

Aria nodded. "I'm sure everyone would be on board with that. There's no such thing as too much time away from Rosewood. It might even make the guys here step up. Just think about it you two. Toby doesn't have to worry but Caleb and Ezra need to start watching their backs."

She pushed past them to leave the men pondering what she said. Spencer was in no rush but she and Hanna obviously were and what could be better than a proposal in the city that never sleeps? Marriage didn't even matter. Aria was just excited that all of them got to get out of town together. They were going to have so much fun.

"I'll come with. It'll be just like old times."

Aria's smile dropped from her face and she turned around again to see the same blonde staring at her that she swore she'd never have to see again. After the night at the cabin, she was too creeped out to even be around Alison.

"No. No you won't," Aria told her firmly. That smirk didn't leave her face. It creeped Aria out majorly. She couldn't even look at the woman's face. The thought of having to see Alison every time she went to the grocery store terrified her.

"Make that a trip to the bar instead of lunch," Caleb said.

"I'm in!" Aria responded almost too quickly.

Ali snickered and walked past them so she was standing at the top of the stairwell. "I'm around so just let me know when that road trip is. Can't wait, Friends."

Aria looked at the guys and then down at the ground. She was suddenly nauseous and feeling very uneasy. There was actually no way to escape her. She felt like she was drowning in -A mess all over again.

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed and a special thanks to Diasyfitz for the review and the ideas. I will definitely take them into account when writing. I love it. It's funny though because I always thought I wrote too much dialogue and that made it boring, but I guess some people like more dialogue. I'll remember that when I'm stressing out trying to perfect it.**

**Remember to review and give me ideas please. **


	13. Fun and Frustration

Chapter 13

Aria

"Why do you keep leaving your damn underwear in the floor?" Aria yelled to Ezra. He was in his office and she was collecting laundry and throwing it in her pink hamper that Ezra hated. She had made a lot of her own touches ever since they moved in together. They were still getting used to being roomies. They had thought it would be just like what they had been doing since high school, but it wasn't. It was a lot different. Sleeping over and living together were two polar opposite things. "Why didn't you warn me about you being a slob before I agreed to move in with you?"

"Would you have not moved in?" he called back.

She stood in the doorway watching him type on his computer. "You still coulda warned me. At least started dropping hints. As in dropping socks. I swear the second my boxes were in and the door closed, you turned into a needy slob that doesn't own a laundry hamper."

"Hey, I had to make you feel at home. Nothing's homier than your boyfriend's boxers on the floor."

Aria tried not to laugh at the dork, but she couldn't not laugh. "I'm not a housewife, Dude. You've been taking care of yourself since you disowned your family and now you don't know how to pick up clothes."

He shook his head and spun his chair around to face her. "Fine, but if I'm cleaning, you have to cook."

"Babe, I've been working late hours. I don't have time to come home and cook. It's almost ten PM and I just got home an hour ago, and, if you haven't noticed, I've been cleaning up after your lazy ass since then."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, but you've only been living here for a week and already your acting like we've been married for twenty years. Chill. You've been on edge ever since you moved in. Come here." He held his arms open for her and she sighed. She set the basket down by the door and walked over to him, taking a seat in his lap. "What's going on, Aria? I wasn't exactly a neat freak before. You're wigging out over the simplest of things. What's on your mind?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just trying to get accustomed to this life. Finding where I fit in."

"Uh huh." He kissed her shoulder. "I think you know very well where you fit in, Aria, but if you don't want to talk to me, then I'll just wait patiently."

She sighed. "It's the whole Ali thing. She scares the crap out of me. It's like A 2.0."

"No. A 2.0 would be Ali walking around murdering everyone with a chainsaw. This is a step down from A."

"Okay, fine, but still. She's creepy as hell and she keeps popping up. Everywhere."

"Aria, chill." He laughed softly at her. "Yeah, she's creepy, but she's not a killer."

She got up off his lap and grabbed the laundry basket. "You should know. You were hooking up with her," she remarked.

His mouth dropped open and she laughed. "You did not just go there. I was never 'hooking up' with her!" he defended.

"Your rap sheet speaks for itself, Mr. Fitz. You were engaged, you knocked up a high school chick, you dated two highschoolers, the list just keeps going."

"That's it Miss. Montgomery!" He jumped up from his seat and she dropped the basket, bolting down the hallway. He ran after her and she squealed. She didn't even make it to the stairs before he had linked his arms around her waist and swung her around. He set her back on her feet and she thought she was free, but Ezra had other plans. He dug his fingers into her sides and started tickling her. Aria, being as ticklish as she was, fell to the floor as if her legs were jelly. She almost looked like she was spazzing. She was laughing too hard to make out a word, and Ezra was clearly enjoying the torturous effect he was having on her helpless body.

"Say you're sorry," he said, knowing she couldn't.

Aria shook her head. Here they were in the middle of the hallway at ten PM and he was trying to kill her. They hadn't been this playful in awhile. She was always so on edge and he was busy at The Brew and everything in between. It was nice to be able to play like this again.

He stopped tickling her and smiled as she tried to catch her breath. "Take it back," he ordered.

She shook her head again. "No. I only speak truth."

He crawled over her, his fingers dancing on her belly in a threatening manner. "Take it back."

"Honey, you've got to own up to your past. It's not healthy to keep denying it." She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't. It was too hard to be serious with him looking at her with that pout.

"You're impossible," he groaned, standing up.

Aria continued to lay on the hardwood floor of the hallway. "I know. It's what makes me amazing," she beamed.

"I don't think I would call you amazing."

"Hey, where's your brother? He seemed to think I was pretty hot stuff."

Ezra's mouth dropped open. "What are you talking about?" he asked, clearly clueless. It suddenly dawned on her that he never found out about her and Wes. That was the one secret A had never spilled. Probably because they knew that she was going to be an idiot and do something like this.

And just like that, the playful attitude was over. "I was joking," she lied, pushing herself up on her elbows.

"No, you weren't, Aria. How many times do I have to tell you that you're never going to be able to lie to me. I know you too well. What happened with Wes?"

"It doesn't matter. It was so long ago." She stood up and reached for his hand. He yanked it away, still not buying it.

"Aria, tell me the truth," he demanded firmly.

She sighed. It probably wasn't smart to pick on him for his skeletons in his closet when she had just as many. "It was just a kiss," she admitted. "That's all. It was a mistake."

"And I'm just finding out about this now?" he asked, anger and frustration evident in his voice. "This is just like when you kissed Jason and I only found out about it because you were interrogating me about Jackie. I mean, God, Aria. How many guys have you kissed while we were together? My brother out of all people?"

Aria nodded, feeling shame bubble up in her veins. "I'm sorry, Ezra, but your relationship with Wesley was complicated enough without adding that to the mix. I didn't one either of you to end up dead."

"Aria, you can't keep these things from me. You say you want commitment, but you can't even be honest with me about the big things like my brother kissing you. Which is it?"

The doorbell rang and Aria sighed. "I'll get it." Aria skipped off down the stairs, thankful to get away from that conversation. He couldn't stay mad at her. She had just told him his brother kissed her. He probably just needed time to process it. It didn't help that she had kept it from him for five years. She regretted it, definitely, but she honestly thought telling him would be worse than not. He and Wes already had a strained relationship. There was no reason to further strain it. She actually had no idea what it was like between them now. Ezra hadn't talked about him once since they got back together.

On the other side of his front door, stood none other than her very distant brother that she hadn't seen since she left for college. They only talked maybe once a month now. "Well, look at you Mrs. Fitz," he said, a smile on his face. She just stood there in shock, staring at him like he was a ghost.

"Hey, Mike," Ezra said, opening the door wider for him to step in. They did that whole bro hug thing while Aria just stood there watching them. "I thought you had been having too much fun to come see me."

He laughed. "All my better peoples were busy. Did you break my sister or what?" he asked, staring at Aria.

"No, sorry," Aria mumbled, pulling him into a hug. "Did Mom tell you where I was?"

Mike shook his head. "No, actually I was coming to see Ezra. Last I heard, you and Spencer were in an apartment."

Aria shut the door and looked at the two of them, laughing slightly. "You two have a bromance going on or something? And how come you won't even answer my texts, but you'll come to see him?"

"I just like him better, obviously." He took a seat on one of the chairs and made himself at home. Neither of the guys acted like this was weird that her brother just marched into her boyfriend's house and was sitting comfortable in a chair that he acted like he owned.

"This isn't the first time Mike has come to see you is it?" Aria asked Ezra, both of them taking a seat on the couch across from her younger and stupider brother.

"Aria, you were MIA for over four years," Ezra reasoned. "Your brother came into town and we hung out. You weren't exactly the best at keeping in touch with either of us or you would know that."

She nodded, feeling like she was being scolded. She didn't keep in touch with them, but that didn't mean she didn't care. She was just trying to escape Rosewood. "I didn't have contact with many people at all," she said.

"Yeah, we know," Mike snapped at her. His tone was annoyed, like she had just told him his outfit was ugly. "You hardly even talked to mom. We were all up here trying our best to make contact with you and when you bothered answering us, it was one-word answers. You didn't make an effort with us, why should I make an effort to talk to you?"

"So how long are you staying?" Ezra jumped in, laying a hand on Aria's thigh. She definitely felt loved. She just wanted a clean break. Was that a crime? Sure, she could've tried harder, but she was just trying to focus on her school without people constantly checking up on her and making her feel like she was some suicidal psychopath.

"A week. Long enough to come and see everyone and make it clear that I'm not some party-hard frat boy."

Ezra laughed. "Last time you were here, all you did was talk about your frat boy moments."

"Yeah, but I've changed since then. I've grown up."

"Since three months ago?" Ezra inquired with a knowing smirk. For the first time since Aria got home, she felt completely alone. Her brother and her boyfriend were carrying on an ordinary conversation while she sat there like the outsider of the group.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. What's the deal with you two? Judging by the femininity of this place, she's not just a guest."

"_She_ has a name," Aria said. "And _she _is living here because some people are more understanding and forgiving of people that have been tortured by psychos for the duration of their high school years."

Mike sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, Aria, but you left for Savannah, and you completely checked out on us. You couldn't expect everything to be all hip hooray when you returned."

Aria shook her head. "No, but I didn't think you'd be yelling at me either," she argued.

"You're my only sister. I'm just saying, it would be nice of you to not shut me out completely."

"Okay, deal, but you're the one that has been ignoring me since I got back."

Ezra groaned. "I'm going to bed. You two can do this brother-sister banter thing all you want, just don't kill each other."

She smiled. "Yes, Father."

**I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've just been completely at a roadblock. Blame the lack of Ezria the last two seasons. I'm always grateful for ideas… and reviews. (And don't start hating me because I made you wait all summer)**


	14. New York Bound

"Why do we have to take Mike?" Aria groaned. She and Ezra were throwing their bags into the car awaiting the girls arrival. They were all taking that trip up to New York as they had been planning forever. By all, it was the four girls, their bed buddies, Mike and Mona. Nobody had invited Mona, but when she heard that Mike was back and taking a trip with the girls, she had invited herself. No one, not even Hanna, was excited about having her on the trip. It was almost as bad as the thought of having Alison on the trip with them. Thankfully, the girls had only run into her a few times while out getting coffee or something and she hadn't really been much of a bother. They would still catch her creepily watching them when they were out walking or something, but she kept her distance.

"He's your brother, Aria," Ezra reasoned.

"He's Mona's _boyfriend_."

Ezra looked at her with a frustrated expression. "It's not like we're bunking with them, Ms. Montgomery. Mona's not going to bother you. She and Mike will be too busy getting…"  
"Stop it!" Aria screamed, jumping up and down in disgust just as a little kid might. "Ezra, I swear, you're going to be sleeping in a chair if you keep bringing up my brother like that!"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. No more. I swear."

Spencer and Toby pulled into the driveway. Spence was wearing her usual Spencer face, though she was preparing for a fun vacation. Typical. Aria loved her, but sometimes the girl could really bring her down. Before the A thing, Aria was the fun, careless, one that saw the glass half-full while Spencer was just the serious, dedicated, one that saw the glass half-empty. That was useful sometimes, it kept her grounded, but there were times that Aria just didn't want a party-pooper around her when she was trying to be her dreamer self.

"Hey!"Aria exclaimed, pulling her best friend into a hug. "You okay?" she asked, noting Spencer's grief-stricken expression.

She nodded. "Can I ride with you guys?"

Aria looked between Spencer and Toby and then back at Ezra. "Sure. What happened?"

Spencer glared at Toby. "Nothing," she huffed. Toby was standing by the car, his hands tucked in his pockets, his head down. Well, this was going to be a fun trip. She had never seen Spencer so mad at Toby. Whatever happened had to have been serious. She always considered Spoby the most stable of the couples and Ezria the least stable. If they were in Hollywood, they would be considered one of those on/off couples that could never make up their minds. Their relationship definitely had never been the easiest, and the outsiders used that to their advantage when they were judging them, but no one really understood it. They didn't understand the relationship and they didn't understand why they were still together after everything all these years. Everyone looked at them and judged, making up their own things in their head, no one knowing the truth. Up until recently, even the girls were judging, yet they knew how much they loved each other and how genuine that love was. It was that kind of outsider input that made them stronger. She was stubborn enough to have to fight harder to prove to them how real this was.

"Ezra," Aria mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I need a hug."

He smiled at her and wrapped his strong arms around her small body, kissing her head softly. "I don't want to fight," she whispered, her head buried in his chest.

"We're not fighting."

She nodded. "I know. I just don't want to. I don't want anything to come between us, ever."

"It won't, Gorgeous. I promise."

She nodded, holding him tight, and holding those words close. She felt like asking for it in writing, but she also thought that might be nagging a bit too much. She trusted him, and she knew in her heart that they were going to be together forever. No if's and's or but's about it. "Marry me?" she asked instead.

He looked at her, his eyes wide. "What?"

Aria smiled, more confident this time. "I said, we should get married." She swore she had never seen him so shocked before. She wasn't planning on saying it either, she just did. Guess it was meant to be since they both slipped. Even with them both being hopeless romantics, she didn't want an elegant proposal. She just wanted something simple and intimate. And sober. Maybe being in the front yard while her best friend and her boyfriend yelled at each other in the background wasn't exactly the best, but they were just ready to move on with their life and stop waiting around for "the perfect proposal."

"I thought that was my job?" Ezra asked after a long while of silence. Well, their silence. Toby and Spencer were both accusing each other of doing something, but Aria couldn't care less.

Aria shrugged. "So? We're not in the nineteen hundreds, Ezra. You don't have to get down on one knee in a garden of roses. Everybody knows we've never been the most conventional. So, what do you say Mr. Fitz?"

He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You are something else Miss. Montgomery."

"Is that a yes?"

He nodded, that half smile on his face that he wore so well. He pulled a black box out of his jacket pocket. "I was supposed to give this to you later, but since you are quite the impatient one…" Her eyes grew wide as the realization hit her. If she had just waited a few more hours, she would've gotten the movie-like proposal that she had been dreaming of since she was eight. She liked this better, though. "We have to make it official, don't we?" he asked, opening the box. Sitting in the box was a beautiful split shank princess cut diamond that she was almost positive they didn't have money for. It was just like the one she had previously mentioned wanting while mindlessly flipping through a magazine. It was good to know that he actually paid attention to her. She already knew that, but it was just another piece of evidence.

He smiled at leaving her speechless and slipped the ring on her finger. Aria didn't know what to do, so she took his face in her hands and kissed him, the passion between them exploding like fireworks.

"Easy, Lovebirds," Spencer said, a disgusted tone to her voice. "Wait until you get to the hotel room."

Caleb and Hanna pulled up, parking behind Mike and Mona who had arrived sometime during that whole foggy exchange. Everything was a blur. She was finally engaged. Officially. She had the rock to prove it. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. Of course, she had said that too when she met Ezra and every day after until they broke up for good. Then when they made up. Every day was an adventure that got better and better with him. She hoped that this feeling would never fade away. That she would still fall for him every time he walked in the room. That they would forever be best friends. That he could simply make her happy even when the worst of storms swept through.

Aria started fanning her face to keep her makeup from smearing with the tears in her eyes. Nobody could bring her mood down. Not Mona, not Spencer, not Alison, not even A could make her unhappy right now. Although, she did want everyone to go away so she could have time with her fiancé. She wanted to climb on the roof and shout that Ezra Fitz was no longer her boyfriend.

"What's the deal with you two?" Caleb asked, brohugging Ezra. Aria lifted up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. No words needed to be said. She didn't even think she could say anything right now.

Everyone had gathered around them now, everyone but Emily. She wasn't usually the late one, but that was the last thing Aria was thinking about. There was a chorus of 'Congratulations' and an 'It's about time,' from Mike. "Hot damn," Caleb muttered. "You really set the bar high. Thanks for that," he grumbled in fake annoyance.

"Pay attention, Rivers," Hanna said. "I want bigger and brighter."

Spencer turned to Toby and rolled her eyes. "Don't think about it," she muttered.

"Okay, what's going on with you two?" Aria asked. "You're acting crazy."

"Crazy?" Spencer spat. She laughed humorlessly. "I'm not crazy. Toby has decided that we're not marriage material. Not now and not ever."

Toby stood in the background his head hanging low. "That is not at all what I said. Maybe if you just listened to me once in awhile, you would know what I said," he barked.

Ezra looked at Aria and shared the same amused expressions. "I'm just going to admire my beautiful ring," she said with a smile. Ezra wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his body while she stared at the ring feeling like she was stuck in some sort of other dimension. Or just a really good dream. Either way, she didn't want to leave this place.

A car door slammed and then another. All attention on the Prius parked out front. It wasn't just Emily. There was another blonde with her. This trip just kept getting better and better.

**Sorry, Guys. I know it's not the hopeless-romantic-Ezria engagement that most of you were expecting, but I just wanted something simple. Crossing my fingers that PLL covers that. If not, we always have fanfiction. Ezrians are basically living off of it anyway. **

** By the way, am I the only one that was completely fangirling at the 6x09 stills of Ezria?**

** For those of you following my other Ezria story, I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by Sunday night. Hopefully sooner.**


	15. Cruising Around Manhattan

"Does anyone know why Sarah is with us?" Ezra asked. Ezra, Aria, Spencer, and Toby were all standing at the bow of the boat, looking over into the water. They had booked a cruise around Manhattan for the afternoon. In the four days their group had been in New York, they'd hardly seen any of each other. They all had partners to stick with. Toby and Spencer spent the first two days not talking to each other until the rest of them locked the couple in the room together. Since then, they had been out to dinner together and seen a show or two, but other than that, it had been Emily and Sarah, Ezra and Aria, Mike and Mona, and Hanna and Caleb. Ezra and Aria had too much to celebrate to be stuck with them the whole trip. The two of them couldn't care less that there were other people on this trip with them. They were still on cloud nine from the engagement. Aria couldn't wipe the goofy smile off her face for a second. Ezra wouldn't stop staring at her with his own smile. Usually, she hated when he wouldn't take her eyes off her, but she hadn't minded it. They had been to the museums and a few shows together. Nobody really cared who they were in New York because no one knew them. They didn't look at them and judge them on who they were or how they got to be where they were. Everyone minded their own business. Ezra and Aria was just another couple on the street.

"Come on," Aria said, clinging to her fiancé just as she had been doing since she got back from college. "We haven't seen her since she ran away. She makes Emily happy. I think it's great that Emily doesn't have to feel like a third wheel on this trip." Sarah had run off just before graduation. It had left Emily devastated. They didn't even know the two had talked until they both showed up with enormous smiles.

"I agree. I just don't know her. It took me forever to be part of your posse, and she got in immediately," Ezra pouted. "I don't think that's fair."

Aria laughed softly to herself while Spencer just shot him a look. "Dude, you were the creepy old guy that was hooking up with an underage student. Then, you were the creepy stalker dude that slept with Aria so you could get in our heads. You didn't exactly have the best rep, Mr. Fitz. The only reason you were even accepted into our posse is because you knew things that could help us catch Charles. If it were up to me, you'd be in jail right now for your sick crimes."

Ezra shook his head disapprovingly at the sarcastic woman. "Need I remind you that I saved your life, Ms. Hastings?"

"No. Caleb and Toby would've been fine without your old ass punching holes in the wall."

"Wait," Aria said, dropping her camera so that it rested on her chest by the strap around her neck. New York had been a great time to get pictures of something new and different. It was paradise for a photographer. Especially at night in the city that never sleeps. "When did you punch the wall?" She turned around in Ezra's arms, smiling up at him in an amused manner. This was the first she'd heard about him having outbursts of anger. Even when she thought he was A, it was impossible to put his face to anything A had done. It was just impossible to picture Ezra doing something even semi-violent.

He shrugged shyly. "It was nothing."

Toby laughed. "He was frustrated because A had hacked into everything and destroyed what we could've found you with. He punched Caleb's wall and really jacked up his hand. If I hadn't been in the same boat as him, I would've laughed at it."

"Aww," Aria cooed. "That's cute." She smiled up at him adoringly, Spencer making playful gagging noises.

"Seriously, you two. Five minutes. Hands off each other for five minutes. Please," she begged. "You're making me sick."  
"Us?" Aria spat. "Really, Spence? What about the couple that takes cooking classes together or whatever else they do? They're even worse."

She nodded. "Maybe, but I like you two more, so I've got to pick on you."

"That makes no sense."

"Exactly."

Aria laughed, laying her head against Ezra's chest, his arms wrapped around her. He was holding her as close as he could with her camera in the way. "Oh!" Aria suddenly said, turning back around to face Spencer. "Spence. We haven't done a lot of wedding planning, but I really want you to be my maid of honor, please?" Hanna had begged to be the wedding planner, so she was doing that, but Spencer had been on Aria's mind from the beginning as her maid of honor. She didn't want Emily to feel left out, so she was going to have to make up something for her, but this wedding was more of a team thing. She didn't want to be one of those bridezilla's that made the day all about her. If it weren't for these girls, and even the guys, she wouldn't be able to stand up there and say 'I do' to the man she loved more than life itself. She and Ezra had spent a while talking about it. Ezra was going to ask Mike to be his best man, and Toby and Caleb would be the groomsmen. As long as Toby was okay with getting up there and wearing a tux. Aria had to spend two hours of her engagement night talking to her brokenhearted best friend about how she was being dramatic about the whole thing. They were close enough to be honest with each other. They didn't beat around the bush like they did with Emily or Hanna. They counted on the other to be completely honest and not try to sugar coat things. Toby had just said that they probably needed a little more time to be a couple before getting married. Automatically, Spencer had taken that as a 'he'll never want to marry me.'

She smiled proudly. "Of course! Team Sparia has to stick together, don't we?" She pulled Aria into a tight embrace before jumping back. She reached for the camera around Aria's neck and handed it to Ezra so he could hold it for them. "I love you."

"Love you too, Spence."

Spencer pulled back to look at her. "Just tell Hanna no pink."

"Trust me. Hanna did not get full control of this wedding. Everyone's doing something." Aria was especially thankful that she had outgrown her bold style. She wasn't sure what her high school self would've been wearing down the aisle, but this Aria was simply wearing some kind of casual, strapless, gown, probably white. Something with her own little touch. That way, she was keeping it wedding-like, but not so traditional. After all, she and Ezra weren't exactly the conventional couple next door. Part of her worried about what some people in Rosewood would say, but Ezra kept reminding her that what they thought didn't matter. It probably wasn't going to be a church wedding, but who knew? They had only briefly talked about the details. Hanna and Caleb were kind of constrained to a church wedding, because her stepdad was a pastor. It was just funny to picture Hanna playing the innocent girl in the white gown, walking down the aisle. Almost as hard as it was to imagine herself doing the same.

"Where is Hanna?" Toby asked.

The girls shrugged. "Probably making out with Caleb while Mona, Mike, Emily, and Sarah watch," Spencer said, ever so casually.

"Spence, I doubt their watching. At least, I know my brother's not. He and Mona…" Aria shivered, picturing the two of them in the back seat of Ezra's car. It was not a pleasant ride. Spencer ended up riding with Emily and Sarah, and Toby with Hanna and Caleb. Aria would've rather had Hanna and Caleb doing their sickening sweet stuff in her back seat compared to her brother's endless dirty whispers into Mona's ear and Mona's blushing with a laugh. She had already set the seats on the car ride home. Mike and Mona were with Hanna and Caleb, and Spencer and Toby with her and Ezra. She was _not_ getting stuck with those two again. She'd like to think that she and Ezra had never been as annoying as them or even Hanna and Caleb, but she knew they had been. It was just what happened with two people in love. She and Ezra still had those moments. She just hoped they always would and it wouldn't become a repetitive relationship. How could it with their crazy lives? The first years of their relationship had been spent saving each other from the wrath of a terrorist. They were just now at the place where they could be a normal couple. Probably another reason why Toby wasn't immediately getting down on one knee.

"Yeah, well, whatever," she shot back. "I like it with just the four of us. They can be a little… overwhelming."

"They're just not as awesome as us, Spence."

They all laughed. "We are pretty amazing, aren't we?" Spencer said, flipping her hair dramatically.

"You forgot humble," Toby said.

"And noble," Ezra added.

"Would you two shut up?" Aria said. "I've got plenty of names for both of you. You don't see me shouting them out."

"We're not shouting," Toby said. "This is shouting!" he exclaimed, loud enough that they got stares from people surrounding them.

"Did you get into Spencer's candy again?" Hanna asked. They all spun around, Aria hoping to God that she hadn't been standing there long enough to hear them dissing her.

"Don't joke," Spencer said. "He almost got fired over that. Where's Caleb?"

"Talking with Sarah," Hanna growled. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Bitch stole my best friend and now she's stealing my man. Bitch going down."

Aria tried to stifle her laugh. "Han, she didn't steal anyone. Dramatic much?"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. She was flirting with the chick at the canteen."

"What?" Spencer asked. "What about Emily?"

"She was in the bathroom. Bitch didn't know I was watching her. We don't even know her."

"Told you," Ezra said matter-of-factly.

Everyone ignored him. "Can you stop referring to her as 'bitch?'" Aria asked. "But are you positive that it was flirting?"

She nodded. "Do you know who you are asking? I'm the flirt of this group. I think I know flirting when I see it."

They all stayed silent. It was quite obvious that Hanna knew what she was talking about. The question was, what do they do about this woman while they were all on a trip together. They couldn't watch their best friend get hurt just because she trusted too easily. It was either: Keep it a secret and let her get hurt finding out herself, and even more hurt and angry when she found out they knew and didn't tell her. Or they could tell her, have her mad at them and lash out saying they thought the weakest link needed babysitting, and have it turn out to be genuinely nothing. Not an easy decision.

All five of them looked at each other, not knowing what to do with the situation on hand.

**Please review and tell me what you think. I love reading your feedback. Suggestions are definitely welcome. I'm kinda dragging on the story and, to me at least, it's not as interesting anymore, so I'd really like to know what you guys think and if you have any ideas of things that could happen.**

**A special thanks to Abi117 for helping me out a bit with this chapter.**


	16. Forever and Always

**Eight Months Later…**

Ezra and Aria's wedding reception was in full swing. The four girls were dancing together. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. The crowd was gathered around watching the four best friends dance around and be crazy and live without fear. The ones that knew their story, looked on in awe. The ones that didn't, watched in amusement.

Aria looked over and met eyes with her groom. He wore the widest smile she had ever seen him with. He was genuinely happy. _They _were genuinely happy. Everything was good and stable and perfect. She never thought they would make it here back when she was in that dollhouse. She never thought that they would get to stand up there, in front of all of their loved ones, and say 'I do.' It was truly incredible to think back on all they had been through and still be able to say that they got to where they were.

"You got your happily ever after, Mrs. Fitz," Spencer said, bringing Aria out of her daze.

Aria smiled at her maid of honor. "So did you, Mrs. Cavanaugh to be." She glanced at the diamond sparkling on Spencer's left hand. Toby had proposed three months after New York. It had proven to be an ongoing argument between them, so Toby decided to man up and make a commitment. Since then, Spencer had been happy and content with her life. She had even stopped being so serious about everything. She was actually having fun with everything.

The song came to an end and the girls took a seat at their table, the guys all gathered around the drinks. "So what's next for us, Guys?" Hanna asked, a serious tone in her voice.

"Hanna, you're seven months pregnant," Emily said. "I think you've got the future in your belly."

"No, I know, but shouldn't we have some plan for what comes next or something? I'm pregnant, Spencer's engaged, Aria's married, and Emily's joining the military, but what does that mean for the four of us as a whole?"

Aria sighed. "Ezra and I are moving to Los Angeles," she admitted. She had been waiting until the very last possible second to tell them. It was not an easy decision at all, but, in the end, the two of them were ready to start their lives together somewhere where they wouldn't see the school principal on the sidewalk and deal with the criticism of all of the people that held to their prejudices. They had waited long enough to start their lives together. Now that they were officially bound for life, it was time to get out and get a fresh start. There was just nothing holding them in Rosewood anymore. She didn't have him waiting for her, and he didn't have the hopes that someday she'd return holding them in this suffocating town full of painful memories. They were together now. Subconsciously, that was all she had returned for. The four girls had an unbreakable bond. That wasn't why she came back. He was.

"Caleb and I are moving to New York," Hanna said, her head down.

"We're moving to Philly," Spencer said.

"So, I'm going overseas, and I will have no one to return home to?" Emily said.

The four of them looked at each other, the happy and playful air around them turning sad and depressing. The thought of leaving her best friends again was heartbreaking, but they had to get on with their lives. They couldn't stay in the same place forever just because of their friendship. "This doesn't change anything," Aria said. "We're never going to leave each other. We went four years, all of us in different places around the country, and we got closer. We'll be okay."

They all nodded in agreement. As true as those words were, they still had to say goodbye. "But we have to make a pact," Emily said. "Everyone has to return to Rosewood every Christmas, no matter what. Even if I can't be here."

Aria smiled reassuringly at the girls. "I love you guys."

"Don't do that, Aria," Hanna said. "You're the one that just said nothing is going to change. Don't say goodbye."

"How about one more dance?" Spencer asked, nodding to the dance floor.

Aria's eyes scanned over the room. She smiled when she saw her dad standing in the corner of the room. They had already had their father/daughter dance, and he had walked her down the aisle, but she still had something to say to him. "You guys go have fun. I'll meet up with you in a minute."

She made her way through the crowd, over to where her dad was standing. Today had been weird for him, she knew. Byron accepted Ezra and he knew that he was good for Aria, and that he made her happy, but that didn't change everything that had happened. He himself was one of those critical people that they were trying to get away from when they left Rosewood.

"Thank you," she said.

His expression was confused. "For what?"

She shrugged. "Everything. For letting me be happy, and for being here, and for being my dad."

Byron smiled. "I don't think I've ever told you how proud I am of you, Aria. You're a stubborn pain in my ass, but you never gave up on Ezra or on me even when I was trying to ship you off to boarding school." They both laughed at the cringe worthy memory. "Listen, Ar, you'll always be my baby girl, and I don't think I'll ever get the picture of your teacher standing in our living room declaring his love for you, but I know that you two are amazing together. As long as you're happy, that's all I care about."

She pulled him into a hug, trying not to cry. She wouldn't want to look like a raccoon at her own reception. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Can I steel my bride away for a second?" Ezra asked.

Aria looked at her dad, who gave her an approving nod. "Go ahead. I've had more time with you today than I usually do anyway." He smiled at her flustered expression. "Don't worry. Go. Have fun with your husband. I'll only be here crying because my baby is moving across the country because she doesn't care about her dear old dad."

She laughed at him, pulling into another hug. "I love you, Daddy."

Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Fitz made their way out to the floor for the next slow song. She was almost a foot shorter than her husband, but they'd been together long enough to know that things like height, or age, or distance didn't matter whatsoever.

"So, Mrs. Fitz," Ezra muttered as they slowly danced to the song playing. Spencer and Hanna had both grabbed their men and pulled them onto the floor for a dance. Emily was sitting alone at the table, probably reminiscing over all of the failed relationships she had had. Aria felt bad for her. After they had broken the news about Sara, she had never tried anything with anyone else. She seemed to have accepted being alone, and with her deployment approaching, she really didn't have time to meet someone. "Did you tell them yet?"

Aria bit her lip, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Yes I did, and, as it turns out, everyone's moving."

He looked at her, confused, for a second. "You're going to have to fill me in on that later, but you know that's not what I was talking about."

"No. I haven't told them_ that_ yet. I was going to, and then everyone started talking about moving away and then it got depressing. It wasn't exactly the best time to bring it up."

"Times running out, Aria. We leave in three weeks. I don't think you want to save that news until last minute."

She nodded, calculating when the best time to drop what she had to say on them was. There was so much going on already. "I want what time I have left with them to be about us." The second they found out about the baby, the three of them were going to be all over Aria like they were with Hanna. Admittedly, they barely gave Hanna any space to breathe. They were much too overprotective of her. Aria was going to tell them soon enough, but she wanted this moment to be about them and not about Aria. Besides, they still had two long months to nag on Hanna. Now that they were all separating, it was probably only going to get worse. At least, Aria hoped it would. She didn't want them to be just ordinary high school friends that forget each other's names within a few years. How could they be with their history? It was just a scary thought. She needed her child to grow up with it's aunts. Maybe not there with them physically all the time, but definitely with them in their heart.

She looked over at the girls. Emily was smiling at all of the couples. Spencer was laughing angelically at something Toby was saying, and Hanna was snuggled up as close to Caleb as she could get with her big belly.

_Who knows, _Aria thought. _All roads seem to lead back to Rosewood._

**So, that's the end of it. Sorry I had to end it so abruptly, but I'm completely out of ideas. Let me know what you think. Thank you guys for reading. I've had fun writing this. I'll try to start a new story when 6B picks up, hopefully. Or maybe a sequel? I don't know.**


End file.
